That depends on what's cheap? There are only two companies (that I know of)that sell plant labels. John Henry and Master Tag. John Henry has minimums of 5000, for pixie labels, per variety to print your custom information. I believe it's 500 for portrait tags. So for our situation we would have ordered 1.6 million tags this year to meet the minimums for what we need. That's not cheap.

Sounds like youÂre wanting to duplex print on plastic labels.
First you need an application to handle that then you need a fairly expensive color laser printer that uses UV ink. Xerox probably has a printer to fit your needs. Maybe 3 grand.

If you Google Nursery Accounting Software or Nursery POS Software you'll get tons of information. My favorite and something were looking into for the end on the 06 season is the product from Windword POS for Garden Center Software (see link. The single license is about $2 grand to print, inventory, POS.

I figuring at least 5 grand for us to do what we want plus supplies ect.

So what's cheap and easy for you? All and all, not cheap

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Center Software

I use Gardware Potstick Labels see link below.

These can be printed on a sheetfeed laser printer in sheets of 10 and are water and UV proof.

I produce the variety label from an MS-Word template and save each one to a new file.

Figure about 200$ for 5000 labels and about the same again for a laser printer. Mine is a Brother HL-1430.

No big investment, and the system is as flexible as you want to be.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardenware -Potsticks

Hay Vouts,
Do you print a color picture or just text?

Hi Mylu,

Just B+W but with our logo, contact details, variety name and cultural info. For me the purpose of the pot stick is to make sure that the variety is correct, the customer knows where to plant it, and most importantly where they bought it from!

The plant photo goes on our POS signs which are now printed using a UV stable inkjet printer and then laminated. Checkout the Epson Durabrite(tm)ink printers - the're not expensive. I only have to do one for each variety, which at 500 or so signs is enough to keep me busy over winter!! (Unfortunately all the ones where I cut the photo by hand last year have faded - hence I have to redo the lot).

For color, you could probably print on the gardenware potsticks using the epson durabrite inks as they dry instantly and are waterproof, but printing speed would be significantly slower.

Hope that helps

Finally figured out why I couldn't log on the last couple days...

Thanks for the replies, you two.

Mylu...yeah, that system is definitely out of the question. I'm sure it is great for larger operations, but large we are not.

vouts, your system is more realistic. I will have to investigate laser printers. I am trying to figure out how to make lasting bench cards and it looks like a laser printer is the best option there, too.

Thanks again, guys. Would love to hear other options, too.

A question, vouts...how do you find the life span of the print from a laser printer? If I would print bed cards, will they last more than one season?

Josh,

We also use Gardenware labels because we grow mostly specialty perennials. The tags last for about 3 years. I do print a picture on the tag and it works very well. There is a Canadian company called C. Frensch that produces similar types of tags which can be printed on a color laser printer. Pricing for color laser printers has come down enormously in the last 2 years or so and in Canada they start at about $ 450.00 CDN. And the cheapest HP Color Laser Jet will do just fine to print tags. Of course the color doesn't run either.

I prefer C. Frensch's tags for smaller pots because the ones from Gardenware are a little awkward for 3.5" pots. Also C. Frensch has many specialty tags that can be used with a laser printer and the area to print a picture is larger. They don't have a website but you can call them at 905-563-4774.

I have two other suggestions:

One- is to order labels that you can apply to one side of plastic pot sticks (I did this and was extremely happy with the company I ordered from Treklabel.com) They also sell on eBay under JoyceLabels (eBay store name). By adding the color in your labels, you can then print your info on the other side using black instead of the more expensive color. One of the advantages of the sticky labels is that you can use them right on the pots also.
(Put the labels on AFTER you've printed the tags)

Two- use a dot-matrix printer to print the labels- they cost from $1 up if you don't have one in your basement already. The printing lasts at least 2-3 years exposed to the weather, which is really all you can expect from plastic.

Rae

Dymo Thermal Label Printer 320. Cost Euro180. Uses a roll of labels from small price stickers up to large envelope address labels. Produces mono waterproof labels that darken slightly over 6-12 months. Look great when fresh. After 18 months, still legible but tatty. Used it as a cheap way to start out, prints barcodes, pictures, clip art, most fonts. Comes with it's own software. labels go straight onto pots, bigger tie on labels etc. Dunno if it's available in US. Really it's an address label printer but works great.

If you need some signage for longer term (E.g. to mark a plot, or a block of pots) Artline paint pens on coreplast holds up for 5 years. Avery weatherproof labels on coreplast also hold up.

Note that red and translucent coreplast are destroyed quickly by UV. Blue and yellow both hold up very well, but the blue attracts woodpeckers.

So when I pot up a batch of fir, I make a coreplast sign 4"x4" and write:

Subalpine Fir
10 May 2011 C:D 1:3

PRT

(Ok, usually a pair of tags, one for each end of the block.)

These are pegged in using a standard 8" geotextile staple.

Then when I transplant the tag will read:

Subalpine Fir
10 May 2011 C:D 3:1
T Aug 2013 Mix#3

PRT

The bottom right is my code for the original supplier.

Love this software...cheap, easy, and 45 day free trial without having to put in a credit card.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Tag N Track

forgot to mention that you can find this on the Garden Bazaar, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Tag N Track