Posts: 2,980
Threads: 177
Joined: Aug 2006
A few years ago I ran across --across not over--- a charming older couple that had an touching horticultural tradition. When a mainland friend, family member or an otherwise memorable person came to visit them in their Hawaii home, they would sometimes plant something in their honor and then mark that plant with the name of the plant and the name of that person. And so, for example, their granddaughter would have a pineapple planted in her honor. This couple has long since returned to the mainland and I cannot consult with them.
I have tried to emulate this tradition but have run into a problem: the markers fade within a matter of a few months. I have tried the white plastic markers, inscribed with a "permanent" marking pen and the zinc markers with slender copper stakes, inscribed with a special black marking pencil.
The writing vanishes, as if it were written on the wind or in the disappearing ink sold through comic books back in the day.
Is anyone using a plant marker and method of inscription that can withstand the constant kanilehua and the frequent peltings of Puna?
Posts: 20
Threads: 12
Joined: Nov 2008
we mark our grandbabies special trees with a cement paver made out of bag of cement poured into any shape desired. we then put a hand print,date of birth and name of plant....you can get super creative and use shells or sea glass to spell out the name of the plant
Posts: 6,214
Threads: 354
Joined: Feb 2006
there are aluminum twist-on markers that you write on with ball point or sturdy pencil & they inscribe (kinda like copper foil embossing in camp days) - of course any metal tag & an engraving pen (electric or not - the pen looking ones do for scratch writing) will do...and there are always mosaic markers...nudge nudge wink wink
& somewhere I saw metal herb stakes with the name cut out in the metal stake...pretty nifty if you are planting what is cut out!
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 72
Joined: Sep 2012
I use a cheap version of Carey's solution; cut strips from aluminum cans, and write on them with an old ballpoint pen. The pen dents the metal, leaving a permanent mark.
You can then curl the unwritten end of the strip into a spiral and it will cling to a branch without strangling the branch as it grows.
Soda and beer cans are good for small plants; the tall cans like Arizona Ice Tea give longer strips.
><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>
Posts: 79
Threads: 12
Joined: Jun 2010
http://www.gemplers.com/product/T800/Alu...Box-of-100
also use aluminum bonsai wire or something comparable; you can form it in spirals that can expand and stretch like a slinky wrapped around the trunk of any larger plant grow so the wire doesn't get enveloped by the bark...
William DeBoe
Palm Beach, FL
Honomu, HI sometime 2015
Moe'uhane Oihana mahi ai
Mahi 'ai 'Ulu
Posts: 1,975
Threads: 47
Joined: Jul 2012
Or you could draw your property from an aerial view and label all the plants with different symbols and then make a key for the symbols so you could remember where you put everything!
Posts: 14,123
Threads: 424
Joined: Aug 2012
quote:
Originally posted by rainyjim
Or you could draw your property from an aerial view and label all the plants with different symbols and then make a key for the symbols so you could remember where you put everything!
I'm collecting the GPS positions and feeding them to Google Earth, which won't be as useful as a paper map after the coming (soon!) robot apocalypse.
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 72
Joined: Sep 2012
I actually did this (well, just for fruit trees), but the computer crashed and I lost it. shoulda backed up more often. sigh.
quote:
Originally posted by rainyjim
Or you could draw your property from an aerial view and label all the plants with different symbols and then make a key for the symbols so you could remember where you put everything!
><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>
Posts: 631
Threads: 53
Joined: Oct 2006
I cut used plastic containers, such as sour cream and cottage cheese, into strips. Then I write the plant name (on the unprinted side) with a DecoColor pen, which is a paint pen you can find at Ben Franklin for about $3. The extra fine point size in black works best. You can punch a hole in the strip if you want to hang the label. This kind of plastic doesn't get brittle with age and exposure, and the paint doesn't fade or wipe off once it's dry. And, of course, you are keeping a lot of plastic out of the landfill, so it's a win-win.
Posts: 2,980
Threads: 177
Joined: Aug 2006
Mahalao to all. Some great suggestions here. I especially like the one about cutting cottage cheese containsrs into strips (I eat cottage cheese regularly -- it's so high in protein!) and I also like the link to the aluminum marking tags.I am going to try those. Got them today.
What I was really hoping for, though, was not something that goes on the plant, but something that stands in front of the plant -- like markers at a botanical garden. But if living in Hawaii has taught me anything it is the need to be more adaptable. So I am going to try those aluminum ones and the cottage cheese container curlicues and see which best meets my needs. Thanks all.
