Label, Label, Label

[buckabucka]

Wow, smart red, 120 varieties of tomatoes and peppers!

Suddenly, my seemingly large garden seems very small.

 

[Smart Red]

Wow, smart red, 120 varieties of tomatoes and peppers! Suddenly, my seemingly large garden seems very small.

That is what I started. I wouldn't have room for everything even if it grew. Some went to neighbors and relatives.

 

[ducks4you]

Although I can usually tell hot peppers from the sweet ones, I use those white 8 inch long markers but I spray paint them red and stuck them in next to the stem. I accidentally bit into an Ancho one time, bc it looked like a sweet green pepper. It took a LOT of yogurt to get rid of the heat!!

 

[Lavender2]

Although I can usually tell hot peppers from the sweet ones, I use those white 8 inch long markers but I spray paint them red and stuck them in next to the stem. I accidentally bit into an Ancho one time, bc it looked like a sweet green pepper. It took a LOT of yogurt to get rid of the heat!!

I am such a wimp with pepper heat! I have my own batch of salsa
I tried the color markings once, on my Iris. I had several I wanted to divide in Fall and give some away. I left a bit of the stalk when I cut them back and tied on colored yarn, carefully making a color chart. There were only two pieces left when I caught a robin gathering pretty things to make a nest.

 

[PhilaGardener]

I have used @Lavender2 's method of recycling the slats from blinds. Learned the hard way to double the name lower down under the soil after things faded in the sun. That has worked OK for me.

I recently saw on another forum the suggestion of cutting metal labels from aluminum drink cans with tin snips and then scribing on them with a heavy nail. This is like the tags arboretums use - the writing is indented in the surface so it remains legible and does not weather. I'm going to try that this year, wearing gloves to be careful of potentially sharp edges when cutting the metal.

 

[Lavender2]

That is what I started. I wouldn't have room for everything even if it grew. Some went to neighbors and relatives.

That's one big reason why I had to get better at marking things. No big deal if I mess up my plants occasionally, it will grow, I will eat it. But I like to know what I'm giving away.

I like your recordings in a notebook, especially for the garden. I would be more apt to make notes instead of relying on my, umm, memory

 

[Lavender2]

I have used @Lavender2 's method of recycling the slats from blinds. Learned the hard way to double the name lower down under the soil after things faded in the sun. That has worked OK for me.

I recently saw on another forum the suggestion of cutting metal labels from aluminum drink cans with tin snips and then scribing on them with a heavy nail. This is like the tags arboretums use - the writing is indented in the surface so it remains legible and does not weather. I'm going to try that this year, wearing gloves to be careful of potentially sharp edges when cutting the metal.

Maybe this will work better than the copper plant tags I tried for my blueberry bushes. When they get all patina they are very difficult (some, almost impossible) to read, even when engraved as deep as I could get it. And now the price is crazy high anyway!
And someone mentioned engraving layered aluminum foil, I think on the other thread. Great ideas to try for more permanent tags!

 

[greengenes]

I just tell myself, "Oh, I'll remember."
...It keeps life interesting.

 

[Just-Moxie]

I had bought a bundle of those orange plastic marking flags...at the hardware store. The ones on the metal sticks about 18" long. I stick them in the ends of the rows, or around the place where I plant shrubs, bushes etc....and mark on them what is planted, and the date. Easy to just pull right out, if the plant dies, or I am finished with that part of the garden. DH has the tendency to mow/weed whack stuff if I do not have it clearly marked.

 

[HEChicken]

Earlier in this thread there were some images of other people's record keeping ideas. I just took some pictures of my seed storage "solution" to post. Here is the box I use to store the seed packets. Excuse the dust on the lid

When the lid is opened, you can see the seed packets line up inside:

And here is an overhead view of them. I can't remember who it was said they use index cards to separate the seeds alphabetically (liked that idea, by the way). I may borrow the index card idea but rather than alphabetically I store mine by "group". I.e. "Greens" (mustard, spinach, collards, kale), "Root" (carrots, onions, rutabaga). I.e., I sort of store them similar to how I would divide them planted in the garden area. Tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos are all together in the box, for example.