Tomato & Fruit Tree Labels: Keeping Things Organized

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Tips for Keeping Your Tomatoes And Fruit Trees Labeled So You Can Remember What's What.

When I start my tomato seeds each year, I label the starter trays with plastic tabs on which I write the name of each tomato variety using a Sharpie brand marker.

For many veggie varieties, I tend to use this same label when I plant the seedling in its final container, transferring the plant and its label at the same time.

However, tomato plants tend to create dense branch structures which eventually cover these little plastic labels and I'm left to trying to remember what variety is in each pot. Not a good idea with my memory.

Labeling Tomato Cages

Here's a tip for creating a label that gets mounted on the top of the tomato cage where it will be above the plant and easily seen.

Buy some wooden garden labels (generally about $.10 each)
Drill a small hole into the top
Label with a Sharpie brand marker
Affix the label to the top of the cage using a twist tie (see below photo)

Labeling Fruit Trees

The wooden labels used above are fine for annuals like tomatoes, but fruit trees are going to be around for many seasons and the elements would destroy these wooden labels over time.

For more permanent labels, I use metal plant identification stakes. These are widely available in garden centers and cost about $1 each. They work by scratching the name of the plant into a metal plate on the stake using a sharp tool or a Dremel tool and an engraving tip.

These metal labels hold up very well under the elements, but I don't like writing the name onto the plate free hand because my handwriting just isn't that good. This is my approach to making these labels neater:

I first print the name of the fruit tree variety onto an adhesive backed file folder label using my computer. (You can buy these labels for ink jet and laser jet printers at office supply stores. In my case, I have a dedicated Dymo label printer which does the job extremely well.)
I then stick the label onto the metal plant stake.
Using the Dremel tool and the engraving tip, I engrave the name onto the metal stake by tracing over the letters on the label. The engraving tool cuts through the label and into the metal. This results in a label that is better than what I could do freehand.
I then remove the label, and clean off any label residue with Goo Gone or WD40 (See below photo of an adhesive label affixed to a metal stake for a Sweetheart Cherry and the final product, a label for a Cox's Orange Pippin Apple)