Plant Idenitification Markers.

Names, once they are in common use, quickly become mere sounds, their etymology being buried, like so many of the earth's marvels, beneath the dust of habit.
~ Salman Rushdie

I seeded quite a bit of plants yesterday, 374 to be exact. And while I did not need 374 plant identification markers to record the names of seeds I planted, I did need several dozen. And I didn't have any.

You can purchase plastic plant markers at any self-respecting gardening supply store, and you can even buy fancy permanent ones made of cast metal, marble or resin. You can even special order engraved markers to make your garden have a more museum-like feel. ;) But even the plastic plant markers can cost too much for the frugal minded.

At the farm, we used to use wooden Popsicle sticks and tongue depressors, writing the names of our plants and the seed date on them with a Sharpie permanent marker. But I didn't have any Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors on hand. I briefly considered cardboard, but then decided that that material probably wouldn't hold up as well as I needed it to.


So after a lot pondering yesterday, I used a sour cream tub and a spreadable butter tub out of my recycling bin. I simply cut the sides from the top to the base of the tub into strips, and then across the bottom with a pair of household scissors. I squared of the remaining bottoms of the tubs, and then cut them into strips as well. I wrote with a Sharpie permanent marker on the white 'inside'. It worked way better than I had expected. They aren't the most attractive, but they are free, functional, and recyclable.

For 'free' seedling tray markers and plant markers, consider using:

- Popsicle sticks

- tongue depressors

- plastic tubs, jugs or bottles cut into strips

- 1" window blind slats, cut into 3-6" lengths.

- plastic silverware handles

- painted stones

- mosaic tiles

- laminated cards with plant pics, info or general funkiness mounted on a stick

- jar lids mounted on a dowel rod

- plastic corrugated board and plastic forks - here's how


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April 18, 2009
Heavy Petal wrote up a nice post called Name that plant about plant markers. Enjoy!


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April 28, 2009
Crate & Barrel is selling Chalkboard Herb Markers for $3.95 each..."Mini chalkboard markers with copper-finished iron frames keep herbs, vegetables and seedlings labeled in the window or garden."