In today’s 2 minute garden tip, I tested the best DIY fade resistant plant labels. What I found surprised me! This label material and marker type makes the best plant labels that won’t fade in sun and won’t run or smear even when submerged in water. You’ll learn how to make plant labels that last longer than plastic labels.
Product links for the items listed in this video can be found here*:
Direct link for oil-based Sharpie: https://amzn.to/3XqYM1B
Direct link for water-based Sharpie Extreme: https://amzn.to/3HVtp9s
Direct link for 9″ paint stirrers: https://amzn.to/3wVWhtf
Additional sizes of paint stirrers: https://amzn.to/3YrYUiu
Learn how to make plant labels from paint paddles here: https://youtu.be/I0FT1rvCjPo
If you have questions about making fade resistant DIY plant labels out of paint paddles, need help growing a vegetable garden or growing fruit trees, want tips for gardening for beginners, want to know about the things I grow in my garden, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and “garden hacks” like this, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and “how to” garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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https://www.amazon.com/shop/themillennialgardener
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EQUIPMENT I MOST OFTEN USE IN MY GARDEN (INDIVIDUAL LINKS)*:
Miracle-Gro Soluble All Purpose Plant Food https://amzn.to/3qNPkXk
Miracle-Gro Soluble Bloom Booster Plant Food https://amzn.to/2GKYG0j
Miracle-Gro Soluble Tomato Plant Food https://amzn.to/2GDgJ8n
Jack’s Fertilizer, 20-20-20, 25 lb. https://amzn.to/3CW6xCK
Southern Ag Liquid Copper Fungicide https://amzn.to/2HTCKRd
Southern Ag Natural Pyrethrin Concentrate https://amzn.to/2UHSNGE
Monterey Organic Spinosad Concentrate https://amzn.to/3qOU8f5
Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer (BT Concentrate) https://amzn.to/2SMXL8D
Cordless ULV Fogger Machine https://amzn.to/36e96Sl
Weed Barrier with UV Resistance https://amzn.to/3yp3MaJ
Organza Bags (Fig-size) https://amzn.to/3AyaMUz
Organza Bags (Tomato-size) https://amzn.to/36fy4Re
Injection Molded Nursery Pots https://amzn.to/3AucVAB
Heavy Duty Plant Grow Bags https://amzn.to/2UqvsgC
6.5 Inch Hand Pruner Pruning Shears https://amzn.to/3jHI1yL
Japanese Pruning Saw with Blade https://amzn.to/3wjpw6o
Double Tomato Hooks with Twine https://amzn.to/3Awptr9
String Trellis Tomato Support Clips https://amzn.to/3wiBjlB
Nylon Mason Line, 500FT https://amzn.to/3wd9cEo
Expandable Vinyl Garden Tape https://amzn.to/3jL7JCI
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ABOUT MY GARDEN
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
34.1°N Latitude
Zone 8A
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©2 Minute Garden Tips
#gardening #garden #gardeningtips #diy #gardenhacks
28 Comments
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊
Thank you for addressing subscriber's concerns and going the extra mile to test the markers.
I'm really enjoying watching your videos. Learning a lot! God bless.
Woohoo! Another great vid. Wish I had seen it before I dished out for metal tags.
I remember my first labels, I made them out of thick cardboard strips and a Marks-a-Lot 😂. Just glad that I didn't waste more time by propping them up straight with sticks!🙂
I wish I was fade resistant! I ain’t getting any younger. Love your informative videos!
🦅Fly Eagles Fly🦅
I love love love it. Thanks. Another marker I'm trying out now is a grease pencil sent to me by a seed trader.
I just use NFCs
Try the garden markers
I’m a grower in the commercial nursery industry and we use plastic labels with a wax pencil. The texts last for a couple of years. You can do the same thing with any plastic label (even home-made from jugs, containers, etc) and a black crayon. Simple and cheap!
I use lollipop sticks. And regular marker. It doesn’t bleed. But it will soak water from bottom up when in dirt and over time just rot and fade away. Still prefer this to plastic.
I’ve used tongue depressors and a UV resistant pen for 3 seasons now. The ink has never been a problem.
I used wooden craft popsicle sticks last year here in Georgia. They rotten from the bottom up. I won't be bothering with them again.
My granddaughter loves to make slime. Worried grandma that I am, I bought wooden stir sticks in the craft section of Wal-Mart. So, when I saw your paint stick idea thats where I went to buy my sticks for labeling my plants. 150 sticks for $3.97; I bought the last two that they had out. And, I am grateful that you tested the markers on your paint sticks! Give Dale a big hug for me. 🥰
Garden markers are fantastic. that's the brand i get from greenhouse megastore. I have been reusing ones from 4 seasons ago and still haven't faded. Another time-consuming idea using a cricket and glue on vinyl. I just find the garden marker name brand to be less effort and doesn't fade in my long day direct sun gardens
Great 👍 thanks friend
Like you my special pens failed on many plastic labels. I did have great luck using Bleach bottle plastic labels I cut out myself. So good I tested some at mid fall after seeing some failed and some had done great. I tested a few and some are great shape after being marked in late August I'm going to have to check out and see what pen I used on the good labels.
Thanks
My only concern was them rotting by the end of the season. I got a lot from estate sales, often free. Even when used and partly painted, I can easily write on them. I actually liked the painted bits!! I just used a regular sharpie
An old gardener tip is to cut old window blind slats and write on those. The problem? Fading. Just like you said with the sharpie markers and I've purchased every type they have. This year I laid out the slats, sprayed them with chalk paint and used a dressmakers chalk pencil to write on. It's already very hot and very sunny here in the West Central Coast of Florida and I've got about 500 seedlings going so I need LOTS of labels. The paint stir sticks sound like a great idea but I'd go broke. And we still don't know how they'll hold up once they're out in the sun for a few months so I hope you'll post an update.
Neither like or dislike but I would offer a tip. Put your label so it’s facing north Tilted slightly away from midday sun and it will be shaded from the UV.
You have nice printing.
What about sun damage?
I used an enamel based pen to write labels on plastic and it faded in a week. Sigh. I'll try your oil based Sharpie next.
Fading writing is a vexing issue! I've tried many types too. Haven't tried the paint stirrers and will be interested to hear how they hold up over time! So far, my best solution on a plastic tag has been black uv resistant Sharpie with packing tape over it. The writing fades some but doesn't get too bad over one or two seasons. Even with packing tape, red Sharpie faded in a couple weeks (couldn't find my black one, 😂). Also, when you remove the packing tape to change the label, it takes most of the old ink with it! Craft sticks were good for IDing starts indoors but were rotted by the time of transplanting. I've tried metal tags too. The tags lasted but not the writing.
Paint stirrers disintegrate in one season in my garden. Need something that will last longer than that.
I use lollipop sticks, write in pencil but then burn it in, using a soldering iron as a pyrograph pen. I drill a hole to hang them from a small post (currently looking at butyl green pipe) so that the wood is not in soil.
I tried the permanent sharpie on wooden Popsicle sticks and it bled to the point that I could not read it. I have heard that regular pencil works great on plastic markers for in the garden. You can erase it, but it is rain and sun proof.
I cut plastic corrugated board and print it out labels for mine and the labels faded. So I am looking for a way to keep the fading from happening so now I'm Looking for those markers. I wonder if a feed store would have them? If not I'll order them from Amazon.