Well, Richard, I guess I am in your boat and probably lost it long ago!!!! If you would like, I can speak with your other half and try to assuage her worst fears. Here's a picture of the greenhouse earlier this month. In addition, I have an area measuring 5' x 8' packed solid with my Echies under lights.

The fact is I lose track from time to time, because I fail to put tags on the cuttings or the plastic tag breaks and I fail to replace it. I use pencil and it works the best for me even on the plants that I put outside for the summer.

You are not losing it, plant people just don't get it! Fortunately my SO is quite tolerant of all my plants in every window, though he does get annoyed when he can't easily open windows in spring.

1) I have well over 100 in my house, with many other housed elsewhere as well.

2) plant tags stuck in pot, made of strips of windo blind and written on with pencil, never pen or marker. Cheap and durable. Thatbisnnotntojsay that all my plants are currently labeled, though.... I will work on it this winter. I also have a Excel spreadsheet that I try to keep updated.

happy growing!

24x8 foot balcony (my only outdoor space, that in addition to about 50 containerized plants has also has small grill, table+4 chairs,chaise,chimenea and more than a few 5 gallon buckets) + indoors makes over 100 plants. There would be much more if I could convince girl + dog that balcony is solely for plants, so far, haven't. But really, 4 chairs?? seems excessive to me. This battle isn't over yet.

I really need to find a good way to track names, pretty awful at it.

If there was a good popsicle stick shaped small thing with decently fine very permenant marker that worked, I'd be happy, but seems to not exist? Been thinking about small "label maker" (brother p-touch style) but don't know how it'd work on terracotta or unglazed pots, which are most of mine.

Maybe pencil is the key, thx for the suggestion breton2. what material are the blinds made of? plastic/fiberglass?metal?

Daniel

Richard, you are not alone. At least you have a really great sunroom/growroom. Obviously, I am loosing it too...have over 200 succulents+ many other plants (unfortunately quite big - ficus, brugmansias, olives, figs...too bad I can't do bonsai!)

Labels are similar 'problem' as most, I am also using cut up old blind slots, few are plastic and some metal. Pencil works good on them. I try to keep a photo folder with correct name for each species, but have some NOID folders.

Rina

take a photo of the plant with the label and name the photo file with the plant name.

glad to know I'm not alone.

most of my plants are rescues for less than $3.00 and nobody has a clue as to what they are where I pick them up.

they seem to change within months of replanting to entirely different plants anyway.

photos seem to only confuse the issue.

I'll try the pencil idea.

thank you

Richard

Pencil on plain (plastic) plant tags works fine (indoor growing is all I know). Does not fade or wipe off -- pen or marker can do both.

When I kept abt 200 plants in my studio apmt, I just kept tags in the pots & went w/ that. I don't have the time or patience for databases, lists; for me that became a burdensome chore & detracted from my enjoyment of the gardening.

Cheap venetian blinds work fine too for tags (I think they're plastic), writing in pencil.

I've even heard a clever suggestion to make TWO tags for the plant, put one down in the pot w/ the mix & then some time in future, when repotting, one finds the tag (helpful if the tag from up top gets lost).

Lena

Here's a thread from a Sempervivum forum that talks about labeling plants. And 100 is just getting started in when you grow Sempervivums.

Plant Labels and Markers

I'm just getting started and I'm nearing 100. I try to photograph each one and load it into drop box because I'm paranoid of losing the photos. Also with drop box I can pull them up on my phone and force them on everyone like baby pictures.

I cut a 4" tag out of an aluminum can, lay it on a soft garden glove and incise the name of the plant with a pencil. Then I poke a hole in the end and wire it to the end of a metal stick that I bend a tiny loop in, and push it into the pot. Not pretty but effective, lasts a long time and Jaybirds can't take them out.

I have about 100 plants now and luckily my wife doesn't think I'm crazy yet! She enjoys making fun of the lumpier species (mostly mesembs), but dislikes the spikey/prickly types (cacti and succulents with toothy leaves).

For labelling, I purchased at 50% off a large pack of small plastic plant labels. Also have an electronic label maker. But.... I never used either! I'm keeping track so far with some photos and an excel spreadsheet with my memory.

Luckily, nearly all my plants are distinctly different looking species, which I think makes it easier?

I have well over 400 and no one can complain to me about being O.C.D or crazy since being single for has it upside..Just don't date a gal that loves plants as much as you do..lol You will have to give up half your space for your partner..

The only one gets flustered once in a while is I, since at times I find myself always running late for anything trying to make sure all mine are watered for the day! It's so much easier when they are all in one spot all outside for the warmer months...Now they are divided up between 7 rooms, the basement, a greenhouse, the shed and a porch..What is hard for me is to try to please all my plants with the right humidity at once since all my succulents are mixed in with my orchids. It can be a true balancing act since if too much humidity, many leaves will rot, and if not enough, my orchids roots suffer..

As for labels, I lost all mine due to wind, re potting and moving them around..Now I always have to look to the experts for the names of mine..What's worst is that is when I get special ones from special friends and then I have no idea which one is from whom because the tag got lost or ripped out from some animal..This above all else makes me feel really bad.

Bikerdoc...Do you have Succulents in with those Cymbidiums and many orchids? Do you find humidity an issue with your succulents of do you keep the segregated?