With over three thousand different varieties of apples, pears, grapes, etc., one really needs a good labeling system. Nick has tried quite a few of them. What is currently used is pictured. At far left is soft plastic (nylon?) labels. They come in bulk rolls of varying colors. On top of them is a Sharpie Rub-a-Dub pen. According to Nick this is the only type of ink that works outside for any length of time. A regular permanent marker won't do. By the way Rub-a-Dubs are also known as laundry pens. However, two years outside is about as good as you get for the ink and label both. The ink fades and the label gets brittle. Even so this is what we use to label our grafts. It works well enough. The second one from the left is a hard plastic that kind of clips onto the plant. They work ok but aren't as good as the soft nylon labels. The middle tag is made of aluminum. I don't like them. Yes they are cheaper than other types of metal and can easily be marked. But they will eventually break or get chewed on by rodents or covered in green algae. Worst of all is the tiny little wire that is supplied with them. It will fail. What I prefer is the last two. One is copper plate and the other is made of stainless steel. They require a stamp set to apply the letters but they hold up extremely well, resist corrosion and are generally awesome. They also have thicker wire - 14 gauge on the last one - which won't let you down. I also have a suggestion about flagging tape. Don't use it. There is some on the aluminum tag. But like most plastic things out in the sun, wind and rain it disintegrates. Also, don't bother painting the labels to make them more visible. It will flake off.
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