In my biology labwork, I've encountered all sorts of (usually expensive) specialty markers that are resistant to various solvents or UV. I had a UV-resistant marker that was great for garden use until I left the cap off. I've since ordered a box of "Artline Garden Markers" that I've been using (and losing) for about 5 years now that seem to be nearly as good. I've seen them in garden supply catalogs and on Amazon, usually for sale for quite a bit less than the ones in the scientific supply catalogs. I do a lot of seed starting for the veg garden every year. For the trays, and then the individual plants once potted up, every year I have long made a few hundred of what I had always considered throw-away labels using cut up strips of yogurt containers and soft pencil. They don't seem to degrade as quickly as the polystyrene labels, but are a pain to write on with a pencil. Over the summer they would get smudged, dirty and hard to read but once the plants were in the ground I pretty much didn't care. When I switched to the UV-resistant markers, the labels that got left out in the garden were still perfectly legible the following spring, even after lying exposed to sun and rain. I can now reuse the labels for varieties I plant every year... if I can remember where I stashed them. I still use wood paint stirrers for my bulb labels, as they're taller than any yogurt container I've seen outside of food service. The UV pen lasts longer than the wood does, and my bulb collection isn't big enough that remaking a few labels as needed is a problem. The Homenote labels seem promising though, will have to take a look. Brenna On Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 1:47 PM Steve Marak via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > My experience matches Bob Lauf's exactly, with labels from several > sources. (I do duplicate all the information on both sides of the label, > belt and suspenders, though it's much easier to read on the dull side.) > > I'll mention that a fellow plant person whose husband restores old cars > told me that a very specific automotive paint marking pen (Rustoleum > Fast Fix 2 in 1 Universal Flat Black) would remain legible for years on > labels even in full sun and could be read from much farther away. I have > UV and weathering tests in progress both in the greenhouse and outdoors > now. Even if it does hold up I will probably continue to use my .7 mm 2B > mechanical pencils since that's easy, cheap, and proven, but maybe > useful for the more readable labels I try to put in plants I donate > locally. > > I will check out the Homenote labels Jane mentioned. As Jan said, the > quest for the perfect label is never over. > > Steve > > On 2/7/2022 3:17 PM, Robert Lauf via pbs wrote: > > Regarding using pencil on plastic labels, I use a normal No 2 pencil > because pencil is the only thing that is truly permanent in sunlight > (defined as still being legible after the label has broken up from > UV-induced cross linking...) > > This is not necessarily a general rule, but it applies to the boxes of > 1000 labels I get at the local co-op: The plastic has a slightly duller > finish on one side than the other, and the pencil makes a better mark on > the duller side. The labels are evidently die-cut and this leaves a tiny > lip on the side that faced toward from the punch (which in this case > happens to be the smoother side.) So I just feel with my finger for that > edge burr and place that side down, and I always have the good side up to > write on. Again, I don't claim this is always true, but it works for me > and my batch of labels so it's worth a shot. > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>