A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs What do you use to mark your plants?

(I wasn't sure where to put this)

I bought several packs of Miracle Gro plant identifier stakes, plastic. I marked them with permanent marker. And it's gone. :( I had planted many re-order stuff from Michigan Bulb in containers to get it going.. and now I have no idea what is what. I've got stuff growing that I'm not sure if it's weeds or plants. Eesh!

I did some googling, (I love Google) and found a neat list of ideas, but I thought I'd ask here too.. to see if any of you have any brilliant ideas for me.

Thanks all!!

Pencil lasts the longest but few things last longer than a season. If you put a layer of clear coat it will last longer before it flakes off.

I use whatever is handy...I've used paint stir sticks, cut up cedar shingles and even tongue depressors. I like using wood and a permanent marker.

I use permanent marker on popsicle sticks. I have bought plant markers that come with their own pernament marker though.

What I also do is I have a "gardening book" (read a spiral bound notebook like kids use in school) For outdoor gardens, I draw a schematic and then I put circles with numbers in them on the drawing. then I label the numbers in a line u nder the drawing on the same page. I have one for every year.

Then I sometimes write if I liked how a certain plant did & put other little notes on this book.
For pots...I would write on each pot or put pieces of masking tape (or some other kind) and label each pot.

OR as it is inside, you could use the plant markers or popsicle sticks in each pot. the rain or bad weather will not mess with them since they are inside.

as far as where this should have gone---I might have put it in the gardening tools forum--but this is good too, so we will leave it.....people already know it is here after all.

My mother takes the seed package, fills it with rocks then then ties it in a plastic back at the start of every row.

At a plant shop I bought some really long skewer things that have wooden handles that I've used for 3 years now. I used permanent marker on the wood and it has stayed.