Author Topic: Tagging trees  (Read 8323 times)


Bill Blevins

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #26 on: February 12, 2018, 01:24:30 PM »
Make a map of your trees in your yard .

Agreed! I wanted a map of all of the plants in my yard and I also wanted nice plant tags. I couldn't find anything that I could afford and so I built Plants Map back in 2014-15.

Feel free to give it a try and request a free custom sample tag that links to one of your plants to see how everything works: http://info.plantsmap.com/tags

Here is my half of the yard. My wife has another 1000 or so "dots" in her woodland garden ;)



Here's my profile: https://www.plantsmap.com/bill-blevins

« Last Edit: February 12, 2018, 01:29:48 PM by Bill Blevins »
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PltdWorld

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #27 on: February 12, 2018, 11:21:00 PM »
Thanks Bill!  Sample ordered!  I'll post a picture when it comes in.... this is exactly what I have been looking for.

behlgarden

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #28 on: February 13, 2018, 12:19:24 AM »
I tried Aluminum tags but they split open but stay on, One I find most useful is using brother label maker, I print labels, have labels from 6 years ago and have not faded. Cant speak for Florida that gets a lot of rain, but have not faded in UV dry heat, after 6 yrs in my yard I know what I what, need tags for newer ones as everything I have are cocktail of 10 plus varieties, whether its mangoes, cherimoya, stone fruits, citrus, or avocados. I print long tag and then glue together the two ends around the branch, tag opens as branch gets thicker. However, I will perm tag them at some point, its always good to tag.

ScottR

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #29 on: February 13, 2018, 11:45:34 AM »
I used to use aluminum labels but being close to ocean some would oxidize with in a few years now I use National band & Tag Co.I order # 2720 -which are copper tags  check out at www.nationalband.com or tags@nationalband.com. I get 1000 tags for $100. And you can just write name on them. ;)

Seanny

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #30 on: February 13, 2018, 09:28:34 PM »
Any one has success with engraving on aluminum?

I have a pencil engraver and a roll of aluminum. I'm wondering if it worth doing it.
My other option is to get metal alphabet stamp to stamp the aluminum.

spaugh

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #31 on: February 13, 2018, 11:37:37 PM »
I used to use aluminum labels but being close to ocean some would oxidize with in a few years now I use National band & Tag Co.I order # 2720 -which are copper tags  check out at www.nationalband.com or tags@nationalband.com. I get 1000 tags for $100. And you can just write name on them. ;)

nice, thanks
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #32 on: February 14, 2018, 05:33:36 AM »
Second the map!

I have used steel and copper a lot in The past but don't like it nearly as much as aluminum now.  Copper also goes green, steel that's.  Never tried stainless but its hard as hell. Copper and alumni are easy with a strong pen or rounded nail.  Never lived near the ocean so no experience on the aluminum near salt water, good to know.  But copper and steel will go bad regardless of ocean proximity.

Plastic is a never, it will degrade in UV.  Perhaps some are better but trees being long term, they always outlive their tags.  I gave up on plastic after 5 years and countless collections confused and data lost.  Also the time I started making maps, that is a brilliant idea!  Print it too, never trust a hard drive...

PltdWorld

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #33 on: February 16, 2018, 07:25:46 PM »
The first of my PlantsMap tags just came in... super excited!  Our community does a Spring Garden Tour and my goal is to have all of my trees tagged on the walking path I built before the 2019 tour.










wslau

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #34 on: February 17, 2018, 03:06:08 AM »
Mentioned earlier....the best metal labels I have found are the aluminum ones embossed by the DYMO Rhino M1011 label maker.  Overall, not cheap though.  The label maker costs more than $130 and the aluminum tape rolls costs several dollars each.  But these labels do not fall apart (with age) because they are a single piece of aluminum.  The "pressed" metal labels that everyone else has recommended can separate over time.  I've experienced this...hence why I have switched to the DYMO labels.
You do have to buy metal tie wire separately to wrap the tag around the branch.
However, the DYMO can punch a nice small hole in the aluminum tape tag.

« Last Edit: February 17, 2018, 02:36:17 PM by wslau »
Warren

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #35 on: February 17, 2018, 08:09:33 AM »
Not the best  way but a quickie way is to use the old  type window blinds that are thick that are sunlight resistant. Write on them with pencil not any kind of ink pen or sharpie. Cut to six- nine inches. After writing the trees name stick the written end in the ground at the base of the tree or cover it with a rock or two or a brick.

Thinner new style blinds might work. I have not tried them.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #36 on: February 17, 2018, 12:31:13 PM »
 Good discussion. I need permanent labels for grafts that I’m doing in the woods. Hundreds of trees out there,  so a map is not feasible. I had heard of the soda can idea, but I just bought some of the aluminum tags from Amazon. Thanks for the link!

Bill Blevins

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #37 on: February 19, 2018, 08:33:14 AM »
The first of my PlantsMap tags just came in... super excited!

Wow. Nice mounting job! That is how Florida Tech Botanical Garden is mounting theirs. Can I use one of those photos to show mounting options?

Your tags are cut from a 0.040" aluminum sheet that has been coated with a surface called UltraBlack. It is military spec satin black surface that is in simulated testing (ongoing) for 12+ years and is showing no degradation after temp extremes, uv and chemical exposure, etc. This surface is what is used to label the outside of aircraft parts. Our partners at Goodwill Industries use a C02 laser to etch through the black surface to expose the aluminum underneath. Unless you hit it with your shovel or weed trimmer it should last for years. Our friend who owns Lark Label has customers with the same material and some are are 20 years old and they still look new. At our botanical garden, we clean the tags once a year with regular windex - usually the weekend before a big garden tour :)
Bill Blevins
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Bill Blevins

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #38 on: February 19, 2018, 08:41:01 AM »
I’m doing in the woods. Hundreds of trees out there,  so a map is not feasible.

Do you have a mobile phone signal where you are working on the trees? ie: can you visit a website on your smartphone while you are out in the woods?
Bill Blevins
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Triloba Tracker

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #39 on: February 19, 2018, 11:10:45 AM »
I’m doing in the woods. Hundreds of trees out there,  so a map is not feasible.

Do you have a mobile phone signal where you are working on the trees? ie: can you visit a website on your smartphone while you are out in the woods?

Yep...

Bill Blevins

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #40 on: February 19, 2018, 12:40:11 PM »
I’m doing in the woods. Hundreds of trees out there,  so a map is not feasible.

Do you have a mobile phone signal where you are working on the trees? ie: can you visit a website on your smartphone while you are out in the woods?

Yep...

There is a button on Plants Map edit pages to use your phone GPS to locate where you are standing to map plants in the field. It actually works really good in town and gets the pin within 5-10 feet. The problem is out in the forest where there is no signal, it gets sketchy and the pins aren't as close. I usually pin a tree from my phone in the field and then come back to a computer or my tablet and fine tune it. Here is an example of a trail someone made in the woods https://www.plantsmap.com/organizations/grelen-nursery
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wslau

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Re: Tagging trees
« Reply #41 on: February 19, 2018, 07:20:00 PM »
The aluminum tag (2 aluminum sheets pressed between paper) may separate over time, but it won't fall off.
So yes, it is still the best and cheapest deal for permanent tagging.


« Last Edit: February 19, 2018, 07:24:36 PM by wslau »
Warren