I’ve spent years re-doing the fading and disappearing information on my metal daffodil ID stakes. Sharpies & paint pens have not survived sun, rain, etc.
Last Fall, I purchased & used a Brother P-touch PT-200 label maker, so have no track record on how long the labels last. But if anyone else in the United States is interested in trying out this label maker, Staples is selling it for $10.00 this week!
What sort of lables does it make? Woulkd they hold up to moisture?
I sure hope so, but maybe someone else who uses them knows better. We’ve probably had as much rain as snow this winter, and mine appear to be surviving. But they’ve only been on for 4-5 months tops. The labels are laminated, self-adhesive, and advertised as “Great for indoor or outdoor use.”
I’ve used the Brother P-touch label maker for a number of years now without any trouble except for one batch of labels where the laminate separated – I think I must have bought the wrong sort of label tape that one time or else I got a defective batch. The labels are very hardy otherwise – I put them on plastic blind slats that I’ve cut about 6-8″ long and insert them very close to ground level so I can pull them up and read them when I need to. That way if I accidentally step on a label it usually survives. Since I have very limited space I plant my bulbs pretty close together in patches among groups of other plants, and I gave up using metal rose markers because I was always catching them when raking leaves out of the beds, but the Brother labels stick to the metal as well as the plastic, so you should be fine.
Vicky,
Two small tips on labelling with felt pen.
1) Vivid markers don’t last. Use a specialised garden marker or animal tag pen.
2) Always write on the top and the bottom of the label. As the bottom of the label is planted in the ground the writing will last on the tag for at least 5 years.
Dave
Thanks for the post. I ordered one. $10 and free shipping. They make their money on the replacment cassets. Name brand are up to $20 each. I found several for $9-10 on the internet. Has any body found a good source of inexpensive replacment cassets for the lable maker?
I use a Brother label maker. I find the labels have worked most satisfactorily for me over the last 4 years. I find they even survice hot water treatment.
Reg Cull
I’ve used the Brother P-Touch for years, and I find the labels last longer than the metal markers. (The part that goes in the ground, not the part on which you put the name.)
I use a label maker and find them excellent. They have been in the open for four years now and as clear as day made.