labelling

J.E. Shields jshields@indy.net
Wed, 24 Aug 2005 06:42:34 PDT
Hi all,

I can back up Mark's comments regarding metal labels.  I often cut my hands 
weeding around them.  Still I continue to use them because they last longer 
in the garden.  Plastic labels are popped always out of the ground in 
winter by the freezing and thawing; they then are blown around the garden 
by the winter winds.

I like the vinyl labels myself for pots or where I need dozens of labels, 
as in potting up seedlings.  I usually get them in boxes of 1000 from 
Charley's Greenhouse, a mailorder catalog place in the Pacific Northwest 
at:  http://www.charleysgreenhouse.com/

Charley's prices are similar to those of Horticultural Printers, but you 
can buy in bundles of 100 labels (ca. $3.50 to $4.00 per 100).

Very soft lead pencil is by far the most permanent marker I've found in 
years of trying.  The other "permanent" markers just are not up to several 
years of rain and sun outdoors.  I expect my labels to last at least 10 years!

I'm experimenting with the Brother 2600 label printer, which can use 
laminated tapes (types "TZ") in various widths, mainly 1" or 1/2", with 
white or clear backgrounds.  It is pretty good for making a half dozen to a 
couple dozen labels of the exact same thing.  Beyond a dozen or two, there 
is no easy way to make labels.  I'm using lots of these outdoors now; I'll 
let you know in about 5 years how well they are holding up.

Regards,
Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

*************************************************
Jim Shields             USDA Zone 5             Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92              WWW:    http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344     or      toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA



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