Labelling

[annie8]

Might seem a daft question but how do people label their plants? When I messed mine up this year - either by using pens on plastic markers that rubbed off or marking a set of modules then splitting them so some weren’t marked at all. It’s meant a big of ‘guess which tomato type this is’ I wanted to use wooden sticks but they are big and dont work for modules. Any advice ?

[Paulie]

I use the plastic labels that you stick into the compost, and I write in them with pencil. This doesn't wash off, but can be scrubbed off with a scourer for reuse. I have a large supply of them with a pencil handy with me - you might be able to get some extra cheap at this time of year in the clearance sales.

[Small pumpkin]

I use the plastic labels and a garden marker pen. UV stable and water proof. Can't remember the name of it now. I think it's brilliant. I label everything. It would drive me insane not knowing what was what.

[Derbydal]

yes I need 1 of those pens SP iv'e 6 rows of spuds to dig up and the only ones that i'll be certain about will be the Pinkfir aples ! atb Dal.

[Chestnut]

I used a few different types this year.
Plastic labels with biro didn’t work too well, so I had widely spaced onions and overcrowded leeks.
Wooden lolly sticks with indellible marker was good- particularly for things I might not grow again. Indellible marker on plastic labels works fine, but it’s hard to remove the writing to avoid confusion next year..

[Penellype]

I find it hard to find pens that don't wash off. I have a tub of labels (divided into plant types eg brassicas, legumes etc) which have remained legible, and I reuse these, and I write new labels for anything I haven't got. Most of my plants at home go into 30 litre buckets, and I have painted numbers on these (with tipp-ex). I then keep a list of what is in which bucket as well as putting in the label. For example buckets 3-7 are all carrot, but my list tells me that 3 and 4 are Nantes Frubund, 5 is Samurai, 6 is Eskimo and 7 is Sweet Candle. The numbers also help me to identify what has been grown in the compost after the crop has been harvested.

With seedlings, I tend to sow in pots and I use different coloured ones for different varieties of similar plants. So if I have sown broccoli and brokali the broccoli might be in blue pots and the brokali in brown (as well as labelling), and pot them up into individual pots of that colour when they are big enough. I then only need 1 label, as I know that the blue pots are broccoli. You can do the same thing with round and square pots... I have a large collection of various pots as I need quite a few different ones in spring for tomatoes.

[bario1]

I just cut one of those 4 pint milk bottles into label sized strips and write on them with a sharpie.

[Nannysally99]

I do it like Penellype, number my buckets, but keep a list inside of what varieties are in them
Works a treat for my spuds

[Small pumpkin]

Found it! I use these
https://www.google.com/shopping/prod...f4qAwcQgTYI1gQ

[veggiechicken]

Pencil on plastic
Reuse markers that haven't washed off.
Big Dymo printed markers for outdoors - generic - just say beetroot or carrots - not varieties.
I only label specific varieties if I want to save seeds or they're unusual. Otherwise, they're just generic.

[Chippy Minton]

We use plastic labels written on with a pencil. Pencil seems to survive the weather better than any pen I've ever used. Looking to use "lolly" sticks next year as a more sustainable approach.

Mind you I quite like the anticipation of "what's this brassica going to turn in to?"!

[nickdub]

I use pen and plastic occasionally for veg, but mostly I don't bother. If I want a long term label to last 20+ years for fruit, I make one out of a piece of slate, inscribe the name and date with a sharp point, drill a hole on the corner and attach it with a piece of copper wire from old electric cable.

[casejones]

i use colored craft sticks that have been coated in clear coat wood stain or plastic knives written on by extreme black markers.

[4Shoes]

Find it has to be a black marker. Sharpie most of the time. I tried different colours, and the blue and greed fade too fast. Milk cartons for the seed label. Tried other sources, but too smooth. Plastic then gets a quick dip and into an old milk carton and off the recycle.


Run battens through circular saw for plot and large pot labels and reuse then.

[Florence Fennel]

Very cheap big wooden lolly sticks and a sharpie