what would you print on? Any kind of paper would be ruined with the first rain.

maybe if they're laminated, but still, I dont see that lasting very long either.

:)

Clear plastic mailing labels. I have a bunch from when I was trading my own seeds. Stick them to mini-blind markers and cover with plastic tape. When it comes time to plant out in the spring, I want to know the height, color, etc of things I'm not sure about. I COULD write it all out by hand, but somedays, even I can't read what I wrote.

Like you, I need to know height, color, moisture needs, etc. before I plant out. If I don't have it, the container sits around a long time before I get to it. Once my boots are muddy, I don't go back inside--plus once I get on the computer I can lose time really fast!

Last year I did write all that info on labels, and it takes a really long time, even with abbreviations. I hope you do find a method for making your printed labels last, but here's another idea: if you printed the info onto pages and them got them laminated, you could have the info outside at all times, even if you're planting in the rain. I may try that this year.

Last year when I sowed I put the container number in three places: on the top of the milk jug, written on the INSIDE, on a spoon with paint pen stuck in the jug, and on the bottom on duct tape, with container number, name and number of seeds sown. I then prepared one mini blind label per drift with all the info written on it.

The thing that helped me the most for planting out was this: I did a chart with all my containers listed, by container number. Then I put all relevent info in columns on the chart (height, spacing, color, moisture, etc) Then I slid the chart(s) into a vinyls sleeve used in three ring binders. Can't remember what they're called. I called it my "Field Planting Guide". It was all at my finger tips and didn't get ruined by muddy fingers or spring drizzles.

Hi seedmama, great info. did you write directly on the blinds ? and what pen do you use. i just bought a few thin Sharpie pens hoping that will do, so far I have been using the pencil that came with the plastic labels i ordered and so hoped they knew they would do better than the Sharpie, so I used it also on the wooden popsickle sticks when I ran out instead of the Sharpies. Should I worry about the labels i have for the dif kinds of seeds in each WS containers? I do have a master list of what is sown in each numbered containers. Chris

Sharpies fade in direct sunlight especially on plastic. My printed labels didn't last a week, so I just wrote the name of the plant on a blind marker with a red pencil. It's mostly wax and they're still there.

Sharpies fade and wooden sticks don't last. If you don't have access to blinds, plastic knives and spoons work. On blinds use a pencil, which will last "forever" or a paint pen. Paint pens work on plastic utensils. Grease pencils, now called China markers, work too.

"Should I worry about the labels i have for the dif kinds of seeds in each WS containers?" Sorry, I don't understand what you are asking.

Token,

I'd love you to try it and let us know. I was very hot on this idea a year or so back, read that the laser inks do last much longer than the ink jet. I just never got around to doing it...

I think that the "clear tape covering" over the label is essential to the plan and would be looking at that clear heavy duty packaging/strapping tape, not just regular rolled cello tape.

I've not tried your method, token, but Ron turned me on to aluminum foil tape some years back. He even made some fancy labels using wire and the tape. The writing indents the tape and seems to last forever; I just stick the tape on the container itself, or on mini-blind strips stuck in the container, with as much or as little information as I need. Works great.

PV

Nan, I tried the printed labels and covered them with clear packaging tape. After 1 week, the tape had started to peel and the labels are fading. They're readable, but I doubt they will last the whole winter. My large batch, I just stuck to writing on mini-blind markers with a red pencil. They're mostly wax, so the writing doesn't fade. A regular pencil works too.

I have some of that foil tape, PV. I might try that next time if my red pencil fades. At this point, I'm just going to hope I know what I'm planting in the spring. I'll have about 200 containers when finished.

Thanks for letting me know token... after I wrote I thought, hey maybe I will try it (having just spent the fall creating over 100 seed labels for seeds I was trading, why not use the files again?)so now your experiment has saved me from wasting time and being disappointed!!!!

I will stick to a paint pen on mini blind. I did try the foil tape on miniblind and it does "engrave" and stay readable, but the paint pen is just easier and the foil tape is not dirt cheap.

Just whatever you do...stay away from those sharpies! Every one fades and there is nothing as frustrating as holding a milk jug, scatching your head and trying to remember if the babies inside look like coreopsis or daisys!

hello
thanks for the red pencil idea I used the sharpee last year and was lost by mid summer as to what I plantd where, luckly I made a small chart in the spring when I plantes so I can go back next year and mark them
michelle

Pencil on mini blinds lasts forever. Cheap. No fuss whatsoever. Reusable too since pencil is erasable.
Freecycles and thrift shops are great sources for mini blinds.

My miniblinds have a coating that does not accept the pencil markings so I use a Pilot gold marking paint pen. Works great and does not fade. The silver one fades for me.

Thanks for the tips. I have a thrift shop where I should find some old blinds.
So any pencil will do, or must it be a grease pencil (china markers- where do I find that?)
Token- what kind of red pencil and where would i find it?

I like the idea of clear labels too if the red pencil or the normal pencil won't do, since it will reuse the plant labels I wanted to create from excel to make the marker labels also. These might also fit in more info on the small markers than my handwriting, but would they stick for a long time on the markers??? It is a tedious task to to have to (strapping )clear tape them, which I've done to the labels I have on the 4x10 clear plastic bags I'm planting my Ginkgos in and other long root plants. But as someone said previous ly that even that won't last...
seedmama- I got the answer to my question /i think. I have several types of seeds in each WS containers, which I marked with popsickle stick broken in half so they fit under the lids/covers, marked with a normal pencil. I guess the markings will last but the sticks won't , hopefully they'll last at least until I transplant them...
Are paint pens sold at craft stores, those by puff paints and such, or at scrapbooking kinda places ? Their points might be too thick to write much with but the name of the plants, right?
Conclusion for me :
1.Get mini blinds and red pencil (so it's more readable for my eyes.)
2. Keep inputting all my plant info on my excel list for eventual clear and white labels.

Now I'm puzzled to what to do about my neat little 4x10 plastic bags planted with tree seeds so they stand up straight , be moveable, neat, and covered. A cardboard box as some photo show, waterproofed with a garbage bag, and the whole box put in an even larger but clear garbage bag(humm does that exist, and where?) how about the water that will accumulate at the bottom of the box, if i cut a hole at the bottom, the box will get wet___ I need styrofoam or plastic boxes from a grocery store somewhere, that have holes in them already, deep enough to hold up my 4x10 bags so they don't slouch, put 4 bamboo sticks in each corner and tie their tips together at the top(center) as you close the clear garbage bag around them , their tips sticking out at the top, and make sure there is ample breathing holes for the plant.

Sorry ,I have one more very important question: The trees I ordered last fall from GA just arrived here in Utah, They said they had to wait til they went dormant for them to be able to send them, so i guess it just got cold enough there, but I have two feet of snow here, fortunately i have the holes ready for them sofetened with a nice compost fill since Fall, and the chicken wire cage to protect them from the deer herd, but what's best to do, they are still in the box in the garage so they don't start growing on me, I was about to put them into their holes today when I remembered "Is it a full moon today? " Checked online, nope not til the 11th!!! My dad was a stickler about that, and so are the Tahitians, even as far as going and uprooting their bread fruit tree or banana or papaya tree out of its hole at the full moon, if not properly planted before on the full moon, and putting it right back in( in almost a single motion). I don't know how best to proceed? These trees are precious to me,expensive too, 1 chinese chestnut, 1 american chestnut, 1 papery pecan, all about 4-5 ft each, bareroot. Chris
Anyway Happy New Year to you all!!

Chris, I bought paint pens at the craft store and found that they flaked off and faded. What has worked for me is a Pilot Gold Marker with an extra fine point. It is actually a paint pen. The silver one faded but the gold one did not fade and did not flake off. I think it costs around $3.00 at Office Depot.

One concern that I would have about using tape to put printed labels on markers is that the tape glue usually fails when exposed to much sun or after several years.

I also tried using the popsicle sticks and found that when wet the writing becomes unreadable as the sticks darken.

When I used baggies to ws I went to the grocery store and asked the fish department for large shipping styrofoam boxes. They gave them to me free and even washed them out so they weren't too fishy smelling. I drilled holes in the bottom to allow water to escape. Like you, I used bamboo sticks in the bags, and just poked them through the bag bottom and into the styrofoam to keep the bags stable. Can get lots of bags in those styrofoam boxes and they are light so easy to move around.

Sorry, I can't help you with the tree planting question. Here we are encouraged to dig the hole in the fall and have soil stored in a freeze free area so we can plant the tree (living X-mas tree) even in January. I have not done this myself.

Interesting comment about Tahitians uprooting and replanting their tree.
Sounds like you have some nice selections.

I use #2 pencils. Work fine.
#3 works better --- if I can find one around the house.
I am too cheap to buy extra stuffs when whatever I can find in the house works with no problem.
I suppose Sharpie would worlk too, but I want to erase & reuse the tags.

I tried using pencil on my blinds but they are coated with something which doesn't allow the pencil writing. I say use pencil if it works, but if not, try something else.

I ws'd today using gallon milk jugs. When I used dh's drill to put water holes in, I put in holes at the top to identify the seeds I planted.

On my paper list, milk jug with 1 small hole on the top held poppy seeds, milk jug with 2 holes held white foxglove, milk jug with 3 holes held snapdragons, etc.

As long as I don't lose my list, I think I will be okay. Will let you know next spring if this system works.

Using pencil on mini blinds here this year. Made the mistake of using Sharpies last year and by spring the labeling had all disappeared. Made for some interesting container gardening that's for sure.

I also put the mini blind with pencil in the ws container and slid it down so just the tip is sticking out of the soil. That way the tag should be protected from the sun. At least that is my hope :)

I got a patio door blind, plastic kind about 6' long that was being thrown out. I removed the rod and strings,chains and ended up with about two dozen plastic panels about 3" wide and 6' long.

Also, I have gotten the wider window blinds, either plastic or wood and have cut them into markers.

I found that paint pens (don't loan one to your son or spouse) work very well and are worth the cost.

No matter what kind of label you use, write your info on both the top and bottom of the marker. The end that goes into the soil won't fade.

For permanent markers that last for years, we cut 1/4" pvc (plumbing grade) pipe into 18" pieces. I use the Brother TZ labeler and they will be good for at least 5 years. Because the pvc pipe is so rigid, even deer won't walk on them.

You do need to pound them into the ground each spring because they tend to heave up a little over winter.

When I used a paint pen on plastic cutlery, I noticed a very faint odor. My belief is that the paint pen was solvent based, and the solvent was melding with the plastic for a permanent bond. My cultery markers made from paint pen are in great shape.

The brand I used was Elmer's Painters. I can't recall exactly why I chose that one over the others, but looking at it today, I'm guessing it was because it is large and had an "ultra fine" tip.

I Bought my paint pens at Menards,and i hate them, they are waY to thick to use,where did you find your Elmers Paint pens,and with a fine point,ahhhhh,i need a couple of these.
Thans,
CAROL

I got the extra fine paint pens (Deco brand) at Michael's.

Karen

I bought a set of fine line paint pens on ebay last year. Cheap and delivered to the house - didn't have to go searching for them. The brand is "DecoColor: Opaque paint marker" and they are made by a company called Uchida of America. Says right on the side "Permanently covers nearly any surface - Weatherproof". Today, as I walked around the garden in the snow, I could read every plant label perfectly - no fading.

Use caution when using mini blinds. Organic Gradening wrote a blip about blinds containing lead especially if they were made in China. I'm not sure how to tell the difference so I just don't use them. I also read that vinyl siding cut with a metal cutter works just great- but ofcourse that is pvc- so I guess you can't win.

It got my paint pens at Michael's also. Historically, not for gardening, I've purchased DecoColor and been satisfied. I didn't even know Elmer's made one until I made this purchase. Like I said, I don't know why I chose Elmers, but it probably had to do with ounces of paint for the price, and in stock availability of ultra fine point.

Thank you all very much for sharing. I just put a bid on some DecoColor: Opaque paint marker on ebay.
About my poor new bareroot trees, i do have the holes dug and all, and a very good compost under a tarp is waiting for planting time, hope they don't freeze in their box in the garage.

A package arrived to day with no name of sender, except for part of the address "1380 Co Rd 137 Horen...35655
And, GW trading packages do come in boxes, contrary to the belief of some at GW.
This box came with a beautiful cutting of Brugnansia Charles Grimaldi in it an a packet of unidentified berries. I went thru all my records to find who this person is, and comcast email does not do the search for a a certain plant name and it looks thru the all the folders for it,and I cannot find who this person is, am so so sorry. So if you are my mysterious benefactor, thank you so much for a wonderful gift.

And for all of you who had to pitch in a few cents to receive your package from me , because of my inexperience (am getting a postal scale) you are so wonderful and so patient! I promise to make it up to you. Chris

PS: My grand daughter Gabriella(3 -1/2 yrs old)has been giggling all day long today, after she helped me WS some perennials. She fell in love with the name 'Kiss me over the garden gate" and couldn't say the name without giggling, she wanted to tell everyone what cool flower she planted, a close second was the 'angel's fishing wand'(they're in the 'princess stage'at the moment), I was left to plant 'cocosmia lucifer' when i made a face, she said 'Lucifer is a very bad cat'(from Cinderella) I had a chance to elaborate a bit on the original Lucifer who wants all men to be miserable as he is.
She also planted sweet williams for her only boy cousin Will and grandpa DH William. She went to bed still giggling whenever she thought of the name'kiss me over the garden gate'
Her little sister didn't care about the names at all, and how they sounded, she just wanted to plant the pretty berries, I have to admit the Strawberry Bush berry is just too beautiful to pass up even for me! I had some cottoneaster berries drying out on a dish with 2 currant cherry tomatoes, and before I could do anything about it , she had patted everything down and covered them very verrry generously in another rotisserie chicken bottom tray, and she indicated that the plant needed a 'dwink' and proceeded to put the cover on and got the tape for me. Thank you Tanya for your beautiful treasures.

Ella said to me when she put her containers outside in the snow "Meme (grandma), I will pway for them evewy day and watch them gwow every day!"

WS was such a huge hit(and mess) they didn't want to leave to go to the library for story time!

I hit micheal's yesterday and got a gold elmer's paint pen. I have plastic cutlery to use it on. Thanks for all the tips, ladies and gents. Now if I could only find that pack of plastic knives I bought.

i don't know if walmarts carry's the paint pens, but i do know that they carry elmers line of glue pens, paint, and some other things in the hobby section, i frequent that area when i get into town, that's where i get the little 2x3 baggies. last year i made the mistake of the sharpie, befor the big debate on which to use, and wow did i lose alot, afterwards i got the deco marker and another one for 97 cents. i liked both. they both worked great. this year i want to use them again and i'd like to try Tom's idea, but laminate them. and to use a hole punch and tie them on. and see how long that lasts for a few. but leave a number on them so i know what is in them. and keep a journal. much better than i did last year!! ** big smile** ~Medo

Here is a link that might be useful: Barehanded Totally Nutso Gardener **big grinn** :'}