This Emily Post contains affiliate links . record full revealing statement here .
Looking for the best mark for outdoor plant tag ? I tested several to find one that stand up to sun , rainwater , and snowfall without fade yr - round throughout the season .
If you need to reduce plastic waste , this tellshow to get rid of marker from plant tags so you could recycle them .

Oil-based paint marker (top) and water-based Sharpie (bottom)
The Best Marker for Long-Lasting Plant Tags
A while back I mentioned I was essay various markers ( marking pens ) for plant tag end to obtain out which ones work best in outside garden conditions .
It ’s now been over six months , and after vulnerability to all sorts of weather , I can already see which option is good .
Because there are so many different charge plate surface — even for tags that seem indistinguishable — I ca n’t be certain you ’ll get the same result I did , but this info should serve narrow down ( probably ) best options .

Oil-Based Versus Water-Based
I tested two canonical types of marking ( water - based and crude - based ) on these surfaces :
I put all the items in a container on the ground in the garden .
Fall and wintertime kindly did their thing and the rag were expose to direct sun , rain , sleet , snow , leaf , and sitting water .

It ’s been over six months and there is one clear winner : theoil - based blusher marker . There are hatful of blade and they come in all sorts of colors and bakshis sizing .
Related:25 originative DIY Plant Markers & Tags
Marker Test Results
The oil - based marker ( “ Paint Marker ” in the photo above ) has celebrate its intensity while the piss - ground marker ( “ Sharpie ” in the photograph ) has already faded .
I ’m assuming the sun has the large effect , causing the water - based mark to pass quite a mo while the petroleum - based marker did fine .
The urine - free-base Sharpie marker is still seeable but that ’s quite a change in this amount of time . One summer of unmediated sun and it may be difficult to read .

The only test the water supply - base Sharpie passed was on ceramics , otherwise it fade importantly .
associate : Outdoor Plant Tags & Markers that Last a Lifetime ( Really )
Shop for Oil-Based Garden Markers
There are several firebrand of oil color - based paint mark ( also sometimes call ‘ rouge pens ’ ) .
These are the same markers that mold nicely forstone house painting .
Look for :

The single I ’m currently using are :
These ones are all crude - based :
interrelate : How to Track Seedlings Without Using Tags

Resources
Erasing Plant Tags
Oil - based blusher marker are sold as ‘ permanent ’ and ‘ indelible ’ but , just news , you may deliberately remove the marking from most surface include plastic plant tags and use them again . The few plastics we dispose of , the good .
This part which products workto clean off marking pen on various airfoil .
More Plant Tag Ideas
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