Topic: My plant label markers have gone missing🙁

[Duke Ellington]

The plastic labels I placed to mark where my dahlias were planted went missing during the winter. I think birds have dislodged them. Do you have a better method as the plastic ones aren't working for me.

DUke

[galina]

The plastic labels I placed to mark where my dahlias were planted went missing during the winter. I think birds have dislodged them. Do you have a better method as the plastic ones aren't working for me.

DUke

The plastic labels have a small hole.  Garden twine can be threaded through and the label tied to plants or plant supports.   The plastic labels are more durable than the self-lock labels which you loop around plants, which at best last a season. 

My method is double insurance: plant - label - then note the position of everything in a gardening notebook.  If the label is lost, the garden book will still know.  Mysteriously at the autumn dig, all labels reappear.  I think they can slip into the soil when we have heavy rain.  I have also heard other gardeners mention that birds can take an interest in them.

I find that pencil writing does not fade so much and labels can be read after a summer at full UV exposure.  Many marker pens fade to nothing. 

[Tee Gee]

I have never had this problem as I always lifted my dahlia tubers so in a case such as yours I would more or less go with galina's suggestion.

As far as placing things in a garden book is concerned I will give this a miss due to the amount of plants I grow, mybook would be a veritable encyclopaedia in my case, but a good idea nevertheless!

I have on occasions when I have planted things that die back stuck a short split cane along side the plant. This will not help for named varieties but a label tied to the split cane and/ or an entry in a book might help!

I also agree with using a soft penci (hb).

Sorry I can't be of more help....Tg

[Hector]

We have a particular Crow and his mate who do this...he actively pulls out and tosses labels. Never had this before.

I'm looking at getting clear plastic vials....like sample bottles, so can bury label where it's a mixed planting. Otherwise I have a map of planting.

[johhnyco15]

old wooden window blinds or the plastic type work well the wooden ones last around three seasons the plastic ones slightly less you can make them how big you like just cut then to the length and right on them i use  a sharpie pen ( other brands are available)   hope this helps

[ancellsfarmer]

Oh for a Hartley label! If you could find some (maybe a house clearance agent/second hand shop who clear houses&sheds) For those too young to remember, they were anodised aluminium, and took readily a pencil or engraver.
Also, its possible to buy(from art shops and engineers supplies), a paint filled pen with a durable paint,in white and luminous colours.

[lifesahaze]

I've used sticks (about 1/2 - 1" diameter) with the bark on one side shaved off - either write on using pencil or a certain branded black permanent pen.

This year I've moved towards stones - we have soooo many on the allotment! - either writing on them with a Sharpie/pencil or white paint marker, depending on the colour of the stone; or I've painted and varnished them.  Adds a little bit of brightness to the lotty, too.

[Deb P]

I can't remember who suggested it, but I use bamboo edging from the Poundshop. You take the wire off, and are left with about 35 bamboo labels that are really tough and quite large as well. I write on them with permanent marker and they do not get eaten by our foxes or pulled out unlike small plastic ones. I'm still using ones from two or three years ago. Bargain!