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Re: Labels

Here I usually have to special order from the seed supply, although I
think the manufacturer sells retail direct to the general public.
(Depending on how many you need, you might also qualify for wholesale
preices?) Depending on whether you need larger or smaller labels, the
larger ones go for ten cents on up at least in small lots. I get
packages of 1000 small labels for around 1.15 cents apeice retail, and
they have held permanent ink though the first winter outdoors. I might
be able to get you in touch with the manufacturer if all else honestly
fails. Greenhouse suppliers by mail and plastics manufacturers may be
useful categories to look under.
 
I have also used home-made labels in emergency by cutting up plastic pop
bottles, but the marking easily washes off indoors or out. I've started
buffing them very fine sandpaper (or very fine sand) before marking in
hopes this will help protect the ink, since I've yet to think of a good
way of sealing the writing, but I've yet to see how well this works. I
am having to go so far as to put a label in EACH cell of the flat, as
well as punch holes in the tags to secure them loosely to the lower
stalk outdoors with a wire twist-tie (rather than put them in the ground
with the plants) to prevent confusion, in spite of "ground rules" I've
tried, like, "the plant is ALWAYS to the right of the tag." Misting or
spraying has been know to cause seeds to jump into cells with the wrong
label, too. I've started spraying OVER the flat and letting the mist
fall ONTO flats instead of spraying AT them. Finally, sadly, I have
never been able to depend on the tag that comes with a mail order plant
outdoors, and this is so universally true that I have had to accept that
it's MY responsibility to provide them with labels that I know that I
can trust not to wash out. Be sure to watch out for thin plastic
collar-type labels which can rapidly become brittle and disintegrate.
                                                 Rob
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