You're right - I bet these would be very easy to make from empty soda cans by "writing" with a nail or awl. I like your idea of making them out of strips and sticking them in the soil. What a great idea. Thanks! Next year, I'll know what kind of dahlias I have (the labels on the packages got damp and faded before I'd finished planting)

Usually, plants that come from different sources have different tags... some are paper, some plastic... but most fade fairly fast! It would be so nice to tag a plant once, and not have to worry about reading that tag after winter or heavy rains.

Soda cans would be a good source of aluminum, and it would be good to recycle something... but I bet aluminum could also be found at craft and hobby shops, or in the aluminum siding or gutter sections of home improvement stores. Thick aluminum food trays or pans might work, as well.

And the only tools required would be a pair of tin snips or heavy duty scissors, a hole punch or sharp object, and a pen or stylus... something to emboss the tags with the plant names.

It's so frustrating to write out wooden or plastic tags, only to have them fade blank by spring!

I wonder though why are these tags healthy cuttings of something, dipped in rooting hormone and ready to plant. They don't seem to me as living material.

"These are the preferred tags used by professional growers and botanical gardens because they are weather proof and long-lasting. healthy cuttings, dipped in rooting hormone and ready to plant."

It looks like the seller forgot to cut and paste that part somewhere else! I didn't really read it that closely... I just thought the tags were a great idea!

Here's a link to a video on how to make aluminum tags from pop cans. you might have to sign up at epiforums to view the file. Its in their downloads section under misc. Its easy to do and its green.

Here is a link that might be useful: aluminum tag how to