Plant Markers that are less expensive?

[Nel frattempo]

We would like some ideas about how to make inexpensive plant markers. The bought ones with the grease pen are too expensive and we need some that are larger. For now we are cutting old plastic storage lids ( saved from storage boxes we used but did not need the lids ) into pieces, which has to be done with tin snips, and we use permanent sharpie type markers. Some of the ink colors fade. We hole punch these and use a bent coat hanger to place them in ground or tie them to wire if plants are wired.

Any other ideas?? Thank you

[turtlehead]

These aren't larger than the plastic bought ones so may not suit your purpose, but I buy wooden popsicle sticks at the dollar store and write on them with permanent sharpie type marker.

You can use both sides if you like - maybe variety on one side and date on the other. That would help increase the "size" of the marker.

[turtlehead]

P.S. - you might get more responses in the gardening forum. More people read this one but in the gardening forum every single person that reads your post might have a suggestion.

[CowboyBunny]

Vinyl mini blinds. They are inexpensive and can be cut to the size you need easily. One blind makes a ton of plant markers. I use a fine point Sharpie marker to write on them.

Tami ~ Heritage Corner Poultry

[nehimama]

I use the vinyl mini blinds, too. However, I found that even the permanent marker (Sharpie) eventually fades by the end of summer. Perhaps a china marker would work better for labelling.

NeHi

[BaronsMom]

We use the wooden popsicle sticks

[bestouta3]

Old plastic spoons

[mistletoad]

Paint pens don't fade like the sharpies do. We use old mini-blinds too.

[DenverGirlie]

Originally Posted by CowboyBunny

Vinyl mini blinds. They are inexpensive and can be cut to the size you need easily. One blind makes a ton of plant markers. I use a fine point Sharpie marker to write on them.

Tami ~ Heritage Corner Poultry

We do this. Haven't had much fading but we do re-label in the spring again

[Cabin Fever]

Wind In Her Hair makes her own out of scrap wood pieces and sticks.

[peacebaker]

I used to always use cut up plastic containers (yogurt etc) marked with a grease pencil or sharpie. This year I read somewhere on HT to use old canning lids. I hate to throw them out but also didn't know what to do with them, so this worked great for me. I just used a sharpie but you could also use paintmarkers and be more creative than I was:



I mostly used them for tomatoes and peppers, and I love how they're at eye level instead of hidden on the ground. You could also make stakes for them for smaller plants.

[VICKI1]

The paint store gave me some wooden paint stirring sticks and they work great. They come in 2 sizes.

[lgslgs]

We cut ours out of old cottage cheese containers. They get reused from year to year - we write small on one end, then use the other end the next year, and by then the first end has faded enough to use again. We also re-use ones when we grow the same varieties then next year. If we need to clean the writing off any of them we scrub them with abrasive cleanser.

We grow a lot of different varieties of things (like 80 containers of tomatoes in 10 varieties) so we use a couple hundred labels a year. The cottage cheese container labels have held up for over 5 years now and are not cracking or chipping at all.

Lynda

[Nel frattempo]

Oh my! Great ideas! Thank you very much. Your gardens and markers look so good! Thanks for the ideas.

[Farmerwilly2]

I'm partial to cutting up old milk jugs. You can make them as tall as the jug, wide as you want. I use the sharpie on them.

[HomesteadBaker]

Originally Posted by CowboyBunny

Vinyl mini blinds. They are inexpensive and can be cut to the size you need easily. One blind makes a ton of plant markers. I use a fine point Sharpie marker to write on them.

Tami ~ Heritage Corner Poultry

That was my answer, too!

Kitty

[Windy in Kansas]

Cut aluminum cans into strips and use a stylus to mark them. An old pen will do to press the writing into the thin metal.

Of course these are permanent markers that can be reused year after year or to mark shrubs, trees, or perennial flowers and such.

Don't drink soft drinks? Do us all a favor and walk the roadways to find ones to use.

[Ozarkquilter46]

Let the kids paint steping stones white then you paint the plant name in black
Or cost even less painted rocks

[minnikin1]

We've use the little flags on a wire stick that utility companies use to mark buried wires and pipes.

[Thoughthound]

Buy a bundle of wood lath from the lumber yard for 10 bucks. Cut (or break) each 4 ft. piece into one foot sections. Should last several years with plenty of backup supply.