labeling ideas

J.E. Shields jshields@indy.net
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


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