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24th May 2022
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Labelling your plants is an essential part of gardening, whether you’re sowing seeds, potting up bulbs or planting a prized specimen shrub outdoors.
We’re all used to the standard plastic stick labels that come in a variety of colours and, while these can sometimes be used again (once the writing has been cleaned off with white spirit or WD-40), they often snap or get lost in the garden.
You can buy labels made from a range of alternative materials. So next time you need to get new labels, why not try some that aren’t made from plastic?
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Sign up nowProduct | What we found |
These aluminium labels are designed to be used with an HB pencil or a solid graphite pencil. They looked as good as new at the end of our trial, with no deterioration in the legibility of our writing or the labels themselves. They get five stars for reusability; writing can be removed with a rubber within a year – after that it becomes permanent. This size is ideal for discreet labelling of plants in the ground, but they are available in other sizes, and they can all be recycled. | |
Of the three makes of slate labels we tried, we liked these ones best, with one proviso. The labels are supplied with a white paint marker that smelled unpleasant and was too thick to write neatly with. But used with the Edding780 CR Gloss gold paint marker, they make a very stylish and durable label. They’re a decent size (20cm), looked good throughout the trial, and the gold pen cleaned off well with WD-40, ready for reuse. The supplied white pen didn’t all come off, which made new writing less legible. | |
These labels are 10cm long, so just the right size for labelling seed trays and pots. They’re easy to write on with an HB pencil or a solid graphite pencil. The writing didn’t fade during the trial, and the labels themselves looked as good as new at the end of the test. A quick swipe with a rubber takes the pencil off (as long as you do it within a year, after which it can’t be removed), leaving the labels ready to reuse. |
Product | Best Buy | Ease of use | Initial legibility | Fading | Durability | Reusability | Overall rating |
Yes | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | |
Yes | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ***** | |
★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ||
★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ||
★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ||
★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ||
★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ||
★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ||
★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
Product | Best Buy | Ease of use | Initial legibility | Fading | Durability | Reusability | Overall rating |
Yes | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | |
★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ||
★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ||
★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ||
★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ||
★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ||
★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
We tested outdoor labels made from a range of other materials including solid bamboo, blackboard-painted wood and zinc. The bamboo and wood had begun to rot after six months, but they would do the job if you don’t need anything permanent. They’re still a better option than brand new plastic, as they will eventually biodegrade. The zinc labels are recyclable and looked good throughout the trial, but the pen supplied with them washed off within two months. Most of the seed-tray labels were made from wood in some form. They quickly discoloured as they absorbed moisture from the seed trays, before splitting and rotting.