Plant labels

[SJW]

Like many forumists I've used a variety of labels over the years - bought and home-made. I'm currently working my way through some old painted aluminium window blinds (familiar to readers of Ian's bulblog). I'm not keen on the standard garden centre ones - too thick and a bit narrow. I've often bought plants on the sales tables with labels that are flexible, slightly wider and come in a variety of colours. Also easy to write on using a pencil. Are these PVC labels? I can't seem to find a UK supplier - just online stuff from China. Where do forumists get theirs from?

[SJW]

... too thick and a bit narrow.

In the interests of clarity and the libel laws, my use of the expression 'too thick and a bit narrow' was in relation to plant labels and not any of my non-gardening friends. 

[Brian Ellis]

I get my black ones here:

http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm

[Matt T]

I get mine from SRGC shows and event, where Glassford Sprunt has various colours as well as glassine envelopes for sale. Probably not much help to you unless you'll be venturing north in show season.

[François Lambert]

seems you can make labels from cans of Red Bull.  Because red Bull is very acid, the cans are made of aluminium because steel would rust.  So, using a metal scissor you can cut labels out of red Bull cans and engrave the name on these labels with a nail.  I'm definitely going to try this.  The only problem for me ... i don't drink red Bull    So, I rely on the colleagues at the office to bring me a few of their empty cans.

[Maggi Young]

Many drinks cans are made from aluminium - including beer cans- so there could be a wide choice of can for homemade aluminium labels     

Mind the sharp edges !

[François Lambert]

Many drinks cans are made from aluminium - including beer cans- so there could be a wide choice of can for homemade aluminium labels     

For ecological reasons I never buy any drink in cans or in one-way (plastic) bottles.  But at the office I tested a few cans of cola with a magnet, and the magnet told me they contain iron.  So, even if I use beer cans I still must ask to the colleagues to drink for me    I'm sure they will be happy to help me out.

[SJW]

I get my black ones here:

http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm

Yes, I think that company did stock them but now only available in red: http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=87&prodName=Plastic%20Labels.

[Maggi Young]

For ecological reasons I never buy any drink in cans or in one-way (plastic) bottles.  But at the office I tested a few cans of cola with a magnet, and the magnet told me they contain iron.  So, even if I use beer cans I still must ask to the colleagues to drink for me    I'm sure they will be happy to help me out.

I expect your colleagues will be more than willing, François !

I was thinking more of some other forumists - who might be happy to drink quite a lot of canned beer for their own use of the cans 

[johnralphcarpenter]

I get my labels here: http://www.labelsnthings.co.uk/. I use a Brother label maker, also from these people. But plastic labels are brittle and snap easily, so if any one knows of a source of tough flexible ones I would be most interested.

[Peter Maguire]

For black, flexible plastic labels I have in the past cut up black plastic pots. There's always too many of them lying around - not sure how that happens, it not as if I buy any plants.... - and if I'm using plastic pots I prefer square ones as they pack together well, more plants per square metre. It's probably better to cut them up and re-use them rather than putting them in the recycling, and they certainly retain their flexibility even after prolonged exposure to sunlight.

So far I've only used them as temporary markers, but I notice that Wells and Winter sell silver paint pens (which I'm sure I could also find locally), although I wonder how they would work with a Brother label maker. My handwriting is not the neatest and it would seem like a sensible approach to use the label maker with black plastic pot strips.

[Brian Ellis]

Not just red Steve:

http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=82&prodName=Push%20In%20Small

[TheOnionMan]

I use 5" pliable vinyl pot stakes from Horticultural Printers.  Their online catalog does not specifically mention that they only ship in US & Canada, but it's implied that's the case.  These don't break, they will bend, and accept regular lead pencil, and can last intact and legible for decades.  I buy green ones, as they're not as hideous in the garden as white ones.  Minimum order is $50 US.

Click this link:
http://www.horticulturalprinters.com/hp_frameset.asp?location=/standard_page_2.asp?categoryid=121
...from menu sidebar, click "Stakes", then click "Pot Stakes"


I think I posted about these labels back in 2010, when I replaced a green vinyl label on Allium kochii, it was 19 years old, and still legible.  I transcribed the information to a new label, was a white label (had run out of my preferred green flexible vinyl ones), that label lasted (in pieces) for 4 years until I replaced it yet again with a green vinyl label.



Broken white plastic label (not thick plastic, but a supposedly flexible plastic, but only flexible for first season).


I'm in process of replacing all the white labels, with flexible green ones, you can see from the Epimedium platypetalum photo that the green labels are much less visually distracting as white ones, I count 8 labels in that photo.

[David Nicholson]

Steve, Anglo-Scottish Packaging have a good selection of colours of plastic plant labels. Start here and if these are not what you are after a further look around the site should come up with more.

http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp

For my black plastic labels and white marker pens I use The Essentials Company

http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk/Black_Labels.html#Black Jumbo

[TheOnionMan]

Oh, should've mentioned in my previous message, I cut my flexible vinyl labels in half with scissors, doubling the value of an order of labels.