Dear Rooted: my own personal experience has been that the zinc plant tags outlast the plants. It is just about impossible to erase the name if you ever wish to. Here's what I do: look out for discarded blinds - liberate the slats from all the strings and cut the slats into short lengths, about 8 or 9 inches. Write on them with a "china" marker.

The only drawback I see is reading the grey lead against the grey metal.

I have used a special black pencil on these labels and it has lasted 5 years. Was a gift so don't have specific brand info.

Shapiro, what is a china marker? Can I get one at Michael's or Hobby Lobby? What I have used on the zinc plates is a black sharpie, then I go over it with the grease pencil which came in the package with the zinc plates. This method lasts only about 14-18 months out here in the wild windy hot cold west and I'd sure like a better method. Thank you.

IrisVal,
A paint pen is the only way to go :)
Craft stores sell one called Uchida by Marvie ---- or somthin' like that. I've misplaced mine. About $3.50.

I always thought a china marker was like a 'crayon' pencil (wax pencil?).

A cattle tag marker (you can get them at the Farmer's Coop) works great too and they show up real well.

Rooted...
Just where did you find metal tags? I can only find the ones with stakes and have been looking for the tag kind. They use to come with wire ties, but I can do the wire myself. I want to label the different kinds of fruit trees I have.
Thanks for the posting,
Bonnie

Hi, Here is the web address for Gardener's Supply Company which just has thousands of helpful, pretty and different gardening supplies. I have been using their plant markers and their marking pen for about a year now. I can't tell you how long the writing will last yet, but so far it is holding up since last spring and the writing is as black as it was when I wrote the label. It says you can remove the ink with fine steel wool. Donna
http://www.gardeners.com/ (type in the search box Plant Markers)

I use these aluminum "impression" tags and they are very durable. They are super easy to write on with a pencil or ball point pen because they have a soft/core. Plus you can write on both sides of the tag. They come with aluminum wire ties.

Here is a link that might be useful: Metal Plant Tags

It's true that the pencil lasts forever, which is also a drawback when you want re-use the plant tag.

I have been using laser printed self adhesive labels over the zinc stakes as a result. There are weatherproof labels from Avery which need to be printed from a true laser printer (not ink jet) which so far have not faded or peeled at all (10 years and going)

I've been using white-on-black printed labels from Garden Fonts for several years and couldn't be more pleased. They seem to last forever and are very professional. Mine are a custom size because of the metal stakes and labels I use and cost 85 cents apiece. The style font I use is Serif. Very, very satisfactory.

Back when I used to use these, the idea was to use a ball point to mark with. Not for the ink part, but to indent the label with the marking. You just had to push a little harder to make it forever legible.