tree labeling

[ericalynne]

Thank you for bringing up this topic. I have now too many plants to remember them all. The plastic plant markers in the south Florida sun break down in one season or less. I like the aluminum tags, but don't really want to spend that much money. The soda can idea looks perfect...but I am afraid the edges would be sharp and slice up my fingers. What tool do you use to cut up the cans? How sharp are the edges? Is anyone actually using this method?

Erica

[fruitlovers]

Thanks for starting this thread, David

This will be most useful indeed

A friend taught me a nifty low cost way of making tags with aluminium drink cans and using a nail to write the trees names. 

Steven, like i pointed out in my previous message above, the thin aluminum lasts about 5 years and then becomes wrinkled and illegible. Most trees (hopefully) last longer than 5 years, so i find this type of labeling for trees is not good.
Zands, no need to use copper, or insulated wire. You can buy a small roll of stainless steel wire for very cheap at any hardware store. No reaction with the aluminum or any other metal. Mr. Clean, that is a good idea to tie the wire onto the tree in a way that the branch can continue to grow without girdling it.

[Mike T]

While there are fruit lovers everwhere copper tags are less common.At 18c each compared to 6c for the plastic ones they are quite expensive as well.

[zands]

Thank you for bringing up this topic. I have now too many plants to remember them all. The plastic plant markers in the south Florida sun break down in one season or less. I like the aluminum tags, but don't really want to spend that much money. The soda can idea looks perfect...but I am afraid the edges would be sharp and slice up my fingers. What tool do you use to cut up the cans? How sharp are the edges? Is anyone actually using this method?

Erica

You can use an old scissors to cut up aluminum soda cans. It will dull the scissors after you cut up a bunch so use a scissors you don't mind abuisng

[zands]

Steven, like i pointed out in my previous message above, the thin aluminum lasts about 5 years and then becomes wrinkled and illegible. Most trees (hopefully) last longer than 5 years, so i find this type of labeling for trees is not good.
Zands, no need to use copper, or insulated wire. You can buy a small roll of stainless steel wire for very cheap at any hardware store. No reaction with the aluminum or any other metal. Mr. Clean, that is a good idea to tie the wire onto the tree in a way that the branch can continue to grow without girdling it.

Thanks on the SS wire. Better than insulated copper because it is thinner. So can poke a smaller hole in the aluminium

[Kona400]

I got these stainless steel dog tags from Amazon and punched the names in them with a metal letter punch.  Hopefully they last a long time, I'll be attaching them with stainless or coated wire.

[fruitlovers]

I got these stainless steel dog tags from Amazon and punched the names in them with a metal letter punch.  Hopefully they last a long time, I'll be attaching them with stainless or coated wire.

That looks good! Should last well over 20 years. You might want to punch in date of planting? Looks like you have plenty of room on the tag to do so.

[murahilin]

I got these stainless steel dog tags from Amazon and punched the names in them with a metal letter punch.  Hopefully they last a long time, I'll be attaching them with stainless or coated wire.

That's a great idea. I like those. That may be the way to go when it comes to long lasting labels.

[Mr. Clean]

I got these stainless steel dog tags from Amazon and punched the names in them with a metal letter punch.  Hopefully they last a long time, I'll be attaching them with stainless or coated wire.

KONA, my dog tags are not as readable as yours.  What size "punch" do you use?  Also, what do you use as a backing when you punch the tags? 

Thanks.

[Cookie Monster]

Here in the south florida sun, permanent ink on plastic is faded within a year. Pencil lasts much longer. Brown thrashers  like to make nests with the pot stickers though.

The dedicated plastic plant tags with permanent ink take years to wear off.I have to scrub them with turpentine and the writing still doesn't come off properly.There are a few styles of aluminium tags that you scratch the name on.I have seen the rounded edge ones that are a little bendy and take a scratch well in packets.

[Guanabanus]

I still occasionally use the soft aluminum tags that can be easily written on by indenting with a ball point pen.  These do oxidize and fall off after two or three years.  It is likely that birds collect these also.  They sure do disappear.

[Kona400]

KONA, my dog tags are not as readable as yours.  What size "punch" do you use?  Also, what do you use as a backing when you punch the tags? 

Thanks.

I think the letters are about 1/8" or 5/32".  I used concrete as a backing to punch it on, I tried wood and it did not come out.  There was a few marks left on the concrete so use something that you do not mind damaging. 

Thanks,
Jason

[fruitlovers]

Here in the south florida sun, permanent ink on plastic is faded within a year. Pencil lasts much longer. Brown thrashers  like to make nests with the pot stickers though.

I found same to be true here. My recent earth shaking discovery is that the markings on the labels last a whole lot longer if i just push them further into the pot and into the soil so that the sun doesn't hit the marked part. Took me  many years and a college degree to figure that out. 

[Cookie Monster]

HAHAHAH  Yah, didn't think of that. Nowadays I have to push them into the pot to prevent the brown thrashers from pilfering them anyhow. Ohh well, pencil is cheaper :-).

Here in the south florida sun, permanent ink on plastic is faded within a year. Pencil lasts much longer. Brown thrashers  like to make nests with the pot stickers though.

I found same to be true here. My recent earth shaking discovery is that the markings on the labels last a whole lot longer if i just push them further into the pot and into the soil so that the sun doesn't hit the marked part. Took me  many years and a college degree to figure that out. 

[bangkok]

I think this is the solution for pro's.

This Dymo labelwriter can do metal labels.

[jcaldeira]

I think this is the solution for pro's.

This Dymo labelwriter can do metal labels.

Maybe a pro who has less than 10 labels to make.      Seriously, that has to be painfully slow for someone labelling hundreds.

I'm happy with a sharpened nail and some cheap aluminium; either from the local print shop or roof flashing.

John

[bangkok]

Well in that case you need to use an automated system i guess. A printer that can print on steel with a laserbeam or something like that. In the mall here they make keyhangers with your photo on it with a laser.

Or maybe an etch-pen filled with acid will do the job on copper labels.

I also have the labelproblem because the markers don't last more then 2-3 years. Also the plastic labels degrade to fast.

[red durian]

I got these stainless steel dog tags from Amazon and punched the names in them with a metal letter punch.  Hopefully they last a long time, I'll be attaching them with stainless or coated wire.

My friend uses these metal letter punches in a home-made channel press and then when they are fixed in place, presses all of the letters simultaneously.  He will do a hundred or so before he rearranges the letters. 

[fruitlovers]

I think this is the solution for pro's.

This Dymo labelwriter can do metal labels.

Maybe a pro who has less than 10 labels to make.      Seriously, that has to be painfully slow for someone labelling hundreds.

I'm happy with a sharpened nail and some cheap aluminium; either from the local print shop or roof flashing.

John

John, as i posted previously, the method you suggest of scratching name on to cheap aluminum will not last more than 5 or so years...not very useful on trees that live 25 years and much more. Unless you are willing to replace the labels periodically.

[jcaldeira]

John, as i posted previously, the method you suggest of scratching name on to cheap aluminum will not last more than 5 or so years...not very useful on trees that live 25 years and much more. Unless you are willing to replace the labels periodically.

I'm just saying a metal stamping system that does only one letter at a time, and one label at a time, will be very slow.  I'm okay with replacing some labels in 3-5 years.  Scratching aluminium with a sharp nail lasts longer than 'permanent' marking pens on plastic.

[gunnar429]

I saw a woman in Vegas area on John Kohler's youtube page one time.  She is known as the tomato lady in NV.  She used metal flashing like they use for roofing.  She cut into thin (say 3 inches wide) rectangular strips and folded in half at 90 degree angle like a bookend.  Then, she used landscaping staples to anchor the signs into the mulch below and used paint pens to label them.  Won't fade or wash away but not easy to reuse.

Growing Food in the Desert - Winter Vegetable Garden in Las Vegas   it is at the end...around 9:10 or so.

[jcaldeira]

The aluminum roof flashing is exactly what I've been using, but I do now prefer using cut-up soft drink and beer cans.  The metal is softer so the writing utensil indents more than scratches, making longer-lasting labels.

John

[Jack, Nipomo]

Just a word of caution since we are talking lasting many, many years.  On our sailboat we are very aware of the galvanic corrosion between stainless steel and aluminum.  Using SS screws in the aluminum mast, for example, in the marine environment, leads to definite corrosive effects and potential failures in the rigging.  SS/SS or alum/aluminum would be preferable.

http://corrosion.ksc.nasa.gov/galcorr.htm

[digigarden]

what about white rocks written with pencil for known varieties or if you several of the same genus.

species that cannot be confused don't need it?

[Gaardenier]

After years of trying several materials and system, I use now only stainless steel labels. Size 75 x 35 mm. Ordered some 500 to a metalworkshop with a laser cutting machine. Welding wire of diameter 1mm or 0.6mm to fix. Also some left overs from stainless cables can do the job, when split into reasonable thickness.
The text is stamped with a set of ABC letters from 3 mm height and nowadays also sometimes 4mm to highlight capitals. I have also 3 and 4 mm numbers.

With small trees I hang simple with a loop the label on a branch or stake (also for bushes) That the wood grows over the wire is no problem as long as it is stainless.
When trees are older I drive the u hook into the bark with an old screwdriver. Later on it overgrows nicely and the wire sticks beautifully out, with the hanging label.
Hereby some just made new ones:

Leo