Disappearing ink

[BR]

The labels on my fall tomatoes have faded. I guess the sun bleached them. I've done this before so I should have known better. What can I use to label my plants that won't fade away?

[TZ-OH6]

No 2 Pencil, or archive quality pigment pen.

[Sherry_AK]

Grease pencil also works well for me.

[Lee]

Sharpie Industrial Strength Permanent Marker.

Won't ever fade.... At least not for an entire season in full sun.

Lee

[nctomatoman]

The normal (not thin line) black Sharpies work fine - I find labels in my garden from seasons past that still have the names on them. We just buy a box of them at Office Depot in the spring...that box lasts for years, actually!

[elkwc36]

I use the same pens Craig does with great results. And not costly either. JD

[BR]

Sharpies is what I used. Out of twenty I can only read three. Some were red and some were black.It says "fine point permanent marker".

[Suze]

The black sharpie writing frequently fades for me, regardless of the point size - regular, fine, ultra-fine, etc. I'm either going back to grease pencils, or to paint pens, which I've heard do not fade.

In any case, I wouldn't be without a garden map for anything I plant in the veg gardens. Having one has saved the day several times. Any number of things can happen to plant markers besides just fading.

[BR]

Suze... these are not in the ground yet but I think I'll be able to determine which is which once they fruit. There are only four varieties. Viva Italia, Opalka, Sioux and Principe Borguese.

[kygreg]

I used a black sharpie, then cold laminated the labels; has worked so far this year and can see no fading yet.

[peebee]

I once read in a gardening tip article that you can use clear cheap nail polish over the plant name once the felt marker is dry. Someone else mentioned dipping a used marker tip into colored nail polish to write the names and claimed it lasted a long time but I find it hard to believe that one since the polish on my nails barely last a week! But I'm thinking of trying the first tip with clear polish.

[troad]

peebee,

Like Suze said a garden map is the best thing. Until you get the plants in the ground you need some kind of label. I bought a bag of colored plastic sticks that look like popsicle sticks at the dollar store. Six different colors and a little work with a hole punch or scissors you can create several different "labels". Green with one hole in the stick, Blue with the end cut of at a point etc. Of couse you need to record them but they won't fade and can be attched in the garden to your cages or plant supports. More work than writing on labels but they won't fade either.

[lightt]

I've always used Sharpies and they've never faded on the (rather expensive) plastic plant markers I'd purchased in bulk several years ago. This year I went cheap and bought a set of plastic blinds at home depot and cut them up to use as markers. The ones where the writing is in full sun have faded completely. Those on the north side of the plants are still legible but will probably not last the season.

I'm pretty sure the Sharpies haven't changed so I have to assume the difference is the composition of the plastic I'm writing on.

Terry Light

[daylilydude]

This is what i tried this year just be careful of sharp edges.

[clara]

This year, I bought wooden spatula/spattle (the thing, the doctor uses to examine your throat), made a little hole at on end to draw a plastic file through and then marked on side with a pencil No2 and the other side with an inky permanent marker which can be used for overhead-projectors. The marker is much better than the pencil, I can read everything.
clara