Plant labels

[stella]

Last year I cut up plastic milk cartons to use for plant labels (as per reuse/recycle etc) but they were a disaster. Too floppy, light-weight, blew away in the wind/rain plus whatever I used to write on them with just vanished. This year I really would like to know which variety has done well in my soil but would like to recycle something to do so. Any suggestion please of a fail safe something
thanks

[Bren In Pots]

Stella I gave up making labels so bought some and wrote on them with a ordinary pencil. I know its not recycling but but they will last me for years as they're easy enough to clean using an old pan scrubber.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Best thing I have found are redundant venitian blinds. The broad slatted ones work ok but the narrow ones are better. Scratch through the paint with something sharp pointed like an old dart or a nail to detail your crop. I actually use the nail from a picture hook jammed into the wheel of an old glasscutter. The slats can be cut with an ordinary kitchen scissors.

If you don't have any old blinds, phone your local blind installer, they will probably have some ready to go in the bin that have been removed from a job

[zazen999]

I gave up trying to find different things to suit; I now have hundreds of the wilko white labels and pencils; the writing stays on throughout and comes clean with the use of a magic sponge. Recycled stuff is no good if the writing comes off!

[vicky]

I had the same problem with recycled plastic. Now I use proper labels and look after them. Although ice lolly sticks and perm. marker are long lasting...esp Magnums.....

[stella]

I tried the lolly sticks as well and found if they are sitting in the damp mud for a while a black mould creeps up them until you find yourself saying, 'now is that a d or a b'.
No Wilkos round here much to my dismay any other ideas where I can get some cheepo ones, and are we talking plastic or wood?

[zazen999]

I just use these chuck; with a pencil.

[Bren In Pots]

B&Q sells plastic ones at around £3 for 50, or you can pick them up on eBay for about half the price including postage.

[Flummery]

I just use these chuck; with a pencil.

I can echo this - and I clean them with a brillo - it re-roughs the surface and the pencil writes well again. I have some that are 4 years old but starting to snap at this age. They certainly do 3 years no probs and are are about 99p for 50.

[Florence Fennel]

Yep, Wilko labels here too, then rub off the pencil and re-use. Some of mine snapped last year, but they must be at least 3 years old.

[coreopsis]

Cut up an empty cream pot into strips.This year I used either elmlea or morrisons own brand cream pots after juice cartoon mouldy disaster.Best so far(to me).

[weekendwellies]

I cut up margarine tubs and lids to whatever size I need (I get the big 2kg tubs usually but the smaller ones work as well) and use a Sharpie pen to mark what is growing and when it was sown and/or planted out.

[Snadger]

Why bother wih labels? Just write plant name on the pot with a felt tipped pen!

[binley100]

I start a lot of my stuff off in loo roll middles, but you have to write on the outside before you water them ........

[stella]

Snadger I need labels for out in the ground. If I plant a row of CFB and then a different variety next to it by the time I pick the beans I cant remember which is which variety????? Also we do get a lot of what my Mother would call 'weather' very strong winds, rain and boiling sun so the milk cartons get blown, washed and bleached away. This year I would like to be more organised and concentrate on what variety does really well in the conditions