How to mark, tag, or label the plant.

[Myronr]

This year my tomato bed has MANY volunteer tomatoes, so many I can't tell which ones I planted. I think next year I will tie a tag to the base of the transplant, for the whole year. Or maybe put a plastic ring around the base.

How do you know which tomatoes are weeds?

[Gardeneer]

I use broken/old plastic blinds, cut them to about 10" length. Write the name with sharpie and stick it next to the plant, with the readable name visible. I also write the name on both sides of the tag. I have seen old tags over wintered in the garden that were still readable.

[oakley]

It seems your garden go away from you a bit. Mulching after planting your starts will control weeds. putting your planting area to bed in the fall, (cleaning up and/or covering for the winter)...or your off season...if still confusing yes, you could mark your starts by tying a label at the base like survey tape. Or marking your stake or cage.
Many methods for labeling...

[Gardeneer]

For seedlings I use short popsicle sticks

[ginger2778]

I just discovered these on ebay for less than $2 each, and free shipping. Double ended indelible markers. I have been using them for years because they dont fade, but I have always paid about $3.50 at my garden store.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271558382969

[Ricky Shaw]

That looks like a marker I need too, and it's on ebay, which I shop. I'm boycotting Amazon and that money grubbing Bezos. Bought the Washington Post, now a paywall for subscriptions. Certainly his right, but till that wall comes down, I'm not buying from Amazon. Ever.

I feel better now.

[Myronr]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

For seedlings I use short popsicle sticks

I do this too but when they get outside, and I start to get 'summer busy' my garden becomes a 'best effort'. In the future I must tie some kind of tag around the plant, no matter how small. And my grandkids pull them out.

[imp]

I use the solo type cups to up pot the small tomato starts to grow until garden sized, then pop them out of the solo cup and into the ground. Instead of throwing away the solo cup at that point, I take my small shears and cut the side wall of the cup into a larger shallow triangle that has the name/color on it. I push the point in to the dirt next to the plant if my supports aren't up yet, or use a hole punch in one corner and tie the name with string to the support.

Takes longer to explain than to do!

Then, I note what is in each row on the garden planner from the notes I make while right there in the garden.

[swellcat]

I'm boycotting Amazon and that money-grubbing Bezos . . .

Glad you're thinking along those lines, though it might be more inspiring if the boycott were over the abusive, vicious corporate culture created for the employees. (Look up "associates crying at their desks" . . . those fortunate enough to have desks.)

For labels, I've used emptied milk jugs, cut into (mostly) long triangles and written on with a permanent marker. It's imperfect, yet mostly free, and is reusing before recycling.

[Ricky Shaw]

Good ideas here, the reused cut-up cup I like. The silver Sharpies are a handy thing with black trays and pods.

[Myronr]

Originally Posted by imp

I use the solo type cups to up pot the small tomato starts to grow until garden sized

This sounds great! I am so smart for listening to everyone here.
I could use the Solo cups, that I used already, cut off the entire bottom so I have an inch high (2.54cm) ring that would stay around the base of the plant all year.

[schill93]

I have read that having a collar (red solar type) around the bottom of the plant will prevent certain pests from climbing up. Don't know if it's true, but I read it in the book by the Tomato Lady.

So if you write the name of the plant and where the seed was from if you have more than one vendor, you should write the name along the top of the cup and then cut the bottom of the cup off, and stick it down around the plant when you plant it in the ground (pushing it into the ground a couple of inches.

You wont lose it, and hopefully it may serve two purposes. I think she said using red was helpful, but not positive on that.

[Spike2]

I used white plastic markers, made for just this sort of thing and used my permanent Sharpie marker to mark them. Well the sharpie marks faded off and I have NO idea what anything is now >,< Which wouldn't be a big deal but I joined in on the seed swap and have all sorts of new and wonderful things I am trying.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Spike2

I used white plastic markers, made for just this sort of thing and used my permanent Sharpie marker to mark them. Well the sharpie marks faded off and I have NO idea what anything is now >,< Which wouldn't be a big deal but I joined in on the seed swap and have all sorts of new and wonderful things I am trying.

I think the Sharpie Extreme markers don't fade. The permanents fade like crazy. Those Sakura markers I linked to above akso do not fade, are indelible.

[Worth1]

Art supply paint pens.

Worth