Plant ID tags?

Question

I was going to purchase Aluminum plant ID tags due to the sun in S. Fla. Then I saw a web site that talked about making your own with soda can's. I did cut up the tags and they look great however they say to write on them with ball point pen to make a depression that will last forever. I find them awfly hard to write on. Anyone have any sugggestions? Are the Aluminum ID tags you purchase easier to write on?

Markings by pen just fade in the sun over time. Pencil works on plastic tags but the tags break down over time. So I would like to try alternative

Answer 1

My parents have been into Hosta's all my life and now we kids
are growing them also. My brother makes beautiful tags that will never need to be replaced. Aluminum won't rust, can't bend them. Our Step Grandfather (Gus Krossa) taught my brother.
http://members.aceweb.com/shep/tags.html
My parents tried EVERY kind of tag and nothing lasts for 2 full years until now. I just did a update on their Hosta lists. 324 Hostas all with their title displayed.

Answer 2

Been looking for a good solution that will last for years. Read the above solution Tonite and Tried the recommended Alum Can (Used Coors NA) and a pair of tin snips starting in the hole cut to the upper ridge of the can. Then cut to the bottom and cut the can into two.Cut the top and bottom out. Squared up the Alum sheet. Cut a thick piece of cardboard to the size of the Alum sheet. Clipped the Alum Sheet to the Cardboard with 4 clothes pins. Used an awl to write plant name etc, found block lettering worked best for me. Wrote all tags before cutting. Made about 4-5 tags per sheet. Cut a piece of wire about 12 inches long and folded in two with about 2 inch spread. Used a needle nose pliers and rolled the edges of the tag about one small circle. Put the wire down the small circles and pressed on. Looked like this should last.

Answer 3

In order for the ballpoint pen to leave an depression on the Aluminum they must be on a soft surface when writing on them, like some cardboard, and press firmly on the pen, remember you are not trying to get a ballpoint ink image, but an indentation of the point, some cans have a coating on the inside which can make this difficult, so try to remove this coating with a nylon type scourer first. I have tried nearly everything to get good long lasting labels and this is definitely the best so far, and they are not any harder to write on than store bought labels, and they're free. It's a good idea to open out the can and write the labels and then cut them out, this is easier than handling small labels. The store bought labels don't have the coating on them so they are easier to write on, so remove the coating on the can ones first. Using a nail scratches, instead of leaving a nice indentation and is a lot harder to control than a ballpoint pen

Answer 4

I have used the aluminum plant tags you are referring to. They are thin aluminum with a thin cardboard backing. You write on them with a ball point pen. They have a wire tie that lasts a long time. I like the soda can idea though, and the idea of using a nail to write on them.

Answer 5

You can get an etching tool from Lowe's or other tool places. They are fairly inexpensive. If you have a Dremel then you can get an etching attachment for that. There are also letter punches that you hit with a hammer which leaves an indented impression of the letter on the can, but they can get pretty pricey. If you are good with a hammer and nail then you can punch the names into the tin. These are just a few options. Hope they help
Good Luck

Answer 6

I've made markers using copper flashing and heavy copper wire to form stakes. In the Dakotas our alkaline conditions turn them a nice chocolate color but when they were in Virginia they were bright green. Copper costs a lot more than soda cans but the labor is the same and copper has more class. RScott

Answer 7

Try a marking felt pen. After it dries, see if it washes off.

Answer 8

use a nail to write on them