labeling ideas
J.E. Shields (Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:15:07 PST)
Brian,
The Brother type PT printers using their TZ laminated tapes seem to have
excellent staying power in the greenhouse, even on the flexible vinyl
plastic tags.
Outdoors I use metal markers (made by EON and other companies here) with
the Brother TZ tape labels. The metal plate is zinc and does not corrode
much over the years. The wire legs are steel, but they do slowly corrode
after several years outdoors in the ground. Generally, unless you have
bears exploring your garden, the metal markers with TZ tape labels are the
best solution I've found in 30+ years at this. Fortunately, there have not
been any bears in Indiana in over 100 years.
(A friend who lived and gardened in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee used
to complain that roaming black bears pulled all his metal tags up,
apparently to play with them. Well, he moved to Alaska, so black bears may
not be a problem any more for him..... I wonder if grizzlies like to play
with metal garden markers?)
Jim Shields
At 11:54 PM 12/18/2009 +0000, you wrote:
In the past I have bought the odd plant with laminated labels. These
consisted of narrow strips of printed paper, laminated between clear wider
plastic, so that water had no edge contact with the paper. They were too
flexible and only lasted a year or so before fading and breaking up. Has
anyone tried laser printing onto polyester film and then laminating to
give better rigidity, and opacity if the polyester or backing film of the
laminating pouch is opaque? I don't have either access to a laser printer
or a laminator to try, or I would.
My normal labeling is with thick 4 x 1/2" white plastic, which I buy in
boxes of 1000 for ~£10, and use a soft pencil. Lasts for several years,
but it must be thick plastic, not the thin bendy form.
Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8, but 6" of snow last night
and more threatened.
*************************************************
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