Marking Pens

[Gardeneer]

I have been using Sharpie Permanent , on plastic for years and never had any problem. But in my garden the tags were not exposed to direct sun.
But every years I make fresh new tags from window blind. Some old ones left in the garden soil over the winter that were still readable.

[k3vin]

Originally Posted by k3vin

Yes, and the plastic will crumble before the market wears off.

Actually I use the plastic ones with the hole in the end and I loop it directly on the cage. If you just have a regular sharpie write the name on both sides, since usually only 1 side is exposed to the sun and will fade. You can also go through mid session and touch them up. Don't have to do any of the with the eXtreme though.

[PhilaGardener]

I use sections cut from old venetian blinds for labels and write the name with a normal sharpie twice - once that shows above round and another that is in the ground. Sometimes when the above ground marker fades, the one out of the light always is fine!

[Gardeneer]

Another way to beat the fading tags is to make a sketch of your garden on a piece of paper and right down what is where . I do this when I sow seeds in the starting tray of cells.

[aftermidnight]

China Markers (grease pencil) along with a plain old pencil and I have a similar to the Artline above but with a fine tip. I have some pretty heavy duty plastic labels which I reuse, a bit of Comet and a scrub will remove the printing on all of these.

Annette

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Another way to beat the fading tags is to make a sketch of your garden on a piece of paper and right down what is where . I do this when I sow seeds in the starting tray of cells.

That's what I do mostly, seed to garden - I have a map for it. Then if something is tagged (usually in the Dixie/solo cup stages), I use numbers and have a "key" to what those numbers mean. Using 0 - 99 is a heck of a lot quicker than writing plant names down on a tag. Doing numbers, you can also get many varieties of cheap outdoor number signs/labels (like used for mail box addresses). You could hang your laminated "key" up at several spots in your garden for reference. My garden is not that big, so I don't get that carried away, but I would if was that large.

Just to clarify - I don't mean that each plant gets its own number - each variety gets its own. All "Brandywine Pink" tomato plants would all be labelled with a "2" for example.

I use a grease pencil (china marker - the kind where you unwind a bit of the paper covering it.)

Works well on plastic, wood, and metal. I have a lot of aluminum tags on tall wires - gets the name up above the leaves on most vegetables

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

I have been using Sharpie Permanent , on plastic for years and never had any problem. But in my garden the tags were not exposed to direct sun.
But every years I make fresh new tags from window blind. Some old ones left in the garden soil over the winter that were still readable.

You will be dealing with a whole different level of sunlight now that you have moved to the South. I use regular Sharpies but replace the tags at least twice during the season. I may try the paint markers this year if I can ever remember to buy a few.

Bill

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by b54red

You will be dealing with a whole different level of sunlight now that you have moved to the South. I use regular Sharpies but replace the tags at least twice during the season. I may try the paint markers this year if I can ever remember to buy a few.

Bill

Yeah, I bet it will be different here.
am making a tag w/ Sharpie Permanent on window blind, at this moment called "EXPERIMENT" ,

I am going to put / install it somewhere that will get sun all day.

[ginger2778]

I buy the Sakura Identipens. They have 2 ends, a fine, and a regular, and they last with zero fading in a 9-10 month South Florida season. I found out about them at an orchid supply, and they were $3.50 each, but you can buy them for less than $2 each as a pack of a dozen and free shipping at overstock.com. https://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sew...countrycode=US
That 12 pack will last for many years if you aren't like me and lose them.

[MissS]

Upon Marsha's great advice, I too used the Sakura Identipens this past season. My labels came in just as clear as the day they went out. My second choice is the Sharpie Industrial.

Thanks Marsha!

[Hatgirl]

I use plastic labels, and write with a 2B pencil on one side and a permanent marker on the other side. Even if both fade, they don't fade in the same way on the same letters.
If the labels have a rough and a smooth side, I use the pencil on the rough side

[kurt]

I get the good old butchers grease pencil,called china marker.No matter what you use as the surface,the wax/grease/pigmented paper wrapped core (three colors at Uline.com)can always be removed and the tag reused.They are waterproof,do not fade,and sharpening is just unraveling the paper.Check it out.

[whoose]

I am going to conduct a Scientific Study on which type of marker that best resists fading. I will use a 3X4 design with the following factors. Outside, Low Tunnel and Greenhouse (3) and Regular Sharpie, Extreme Sharpie, Artline Marker and Pencil (4). I will analyze the results with the Lynch Inter ocular statistic and report the results here in October.

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I use these:

[barbamWY]

I use the same one as Cole_Robbie. I've also used the markers at Harris. Regular Sharpies fade.