by The new dacha season is coming and it’s time to prepare all the relevant equipment for its start. In addition to inventory, soil, seeds and other little things necessary for the dacha, do not forget about tags for vegetables, in particular, for tomatoes. You can buy markers or make them yourself.
If you have a lot to do and absolutely no time, you can use purchased tags: there are plenty of these in stores today. In other cases, using your imagination, you can make tags from improvised means without any special hassle. We will list several options for such designation, but first we will tell you a little about what all this is needed for.
Why label tomatoes
Even though the answer to this question is obvious, we will still devote time to it. Vegetable tags, including tomatoes, are necessary to clearly distinguish their varieties or hybrids. In addition, there are also differences in their purpose, place of cultivation, ripening time and other points, each of which can be noted when labeling. This means that there should be enough space on the tags for inscriptions, but at the same time the markers should not create inconvenience when caring for the crop.
You can start marking tomatoes even at the seedling stage. If you are an avid tomato grower, then marking will help you not to get confused in the variety of varieties grown. And if you are a beginner, then information about each variety and hybrid should be written down on such a medium, and not stored in your head.
If you do not practice picking and have selected a separate container for each tomato seed in advance, then it is better to individually mark the seedlings.
After planting the seedlings in a permanent place, it is enough to install one tag for each variety. The main thing is to choose a version that would not interfere with walking around the garden and working there.
How to Make and Attach Tomato Tags
The second action is directly dependent on the first. There are tags that are easy enough to stick into the ground. Others require a bit more fuss, but they are also more convenient.
Thick paper is needed so that the tag can stay in the soil even after it has been moistened and does not get wet, crumpled or bent. There is enough space on such a marker to write down not only the name of the variety, but also its characteristics and information on caring for it. Such tags are usually available for sale, but you can make them yourself.
Instead of regular paper tags, you can also use multi-colored labels cut out of paper.
Tomato Tags from Spoons
Old wooden or disposable plastic spoons, as well as measuring spoons from baby food, can also be adapted to mark tomatoes in the beds, making the appropriate markings. And if the spoons are illustrated, multi-colored and made in the same style, then they will definitely not spoil the appearance in the garden. They are installed in the same way as paper markers, simply placed in the soil in a place in the bed where they will not interfere with work.
Attach one or two cross boards to the longitudinal board using a hammer and nails. To make the tomato signs look attractive, they can be painted with different colors. After the paint dries, apply information about the varieties and hybrids of tomatoes to them in any way suitable for this. Place in the ground near the bed with the corresponding variety.
A simplified version is boards with bottle caps attached to them – metal and plastic.
If you remove the plastic cap from the bottle together with the ring, and then carefully cut it, you can get another self-sufficient option for labeling vegetables. However, its disadvantage is its small size, which does not allow you to apply information about the variety or hybrid of tomato in full.
The best option is tags made of synthetic material. They are more durable compared to paper and cardboard. If of all the possible options you only have the latter, then to use them in the garden you will have to pack each item in a zip-lock bag (their range of use is also wide), making a small hole in it for the string with which the tag is equipped. Hanging tags are placed on pegs next to the bed or attached to the plants themselves.
It happens that there are stones of different sizes lying around or near the plot. In order to create markers for vegetables, including tomatoes, you can use them by painting them in different colors and putting the appropriate inscriptions on top. The undoubted advantage of such homemade tags is that they will definitely not be blown away by the wind. In addition, the stones do not need to be attached to anything, but simply placed next to the bed.
Stones are not only used to mark plants, they can also be used to decorate the garden.
Tomato Tags from Plastic Cups
There are so many uses for this type of container (these are containers for seedlings and forcing onions, a mini-windmill, and much more). The cups are also useful for marking varieties. For this purpose, inverted containers are attached to pegs (at least with chewing gum), after writing all the necessary information on the plastic with a permanent marker. If desired, you can place a self-adhesive label on the cup and write the information directly on it. By the way, you can try to do the same with eggshells.
Tomato Tags from Tin Lids
Tin can lids with a ring are ideal: this can be used to attach to a bush or a nearby peg. Just straighten the lid first and apply all the necessary information to it using a permanent marker.
If you have so many varieties and hybrids of tomatoes that you can’t get enough tin lids for them, use any other tin, for example, drink cans. You can write the names and all other information about the tomatoes on them, and then dig them shallowly into the soil in the right places. By analogy, you can also place metal spoons or bottoms of tin cans with marks in the ground.
Tomato Loop Tags
This marker is attached directly to the plant due to the fact that at one end it is equipped with a hole through which, starting from the other end, the tag is pulled almost completely, thereby forming a loop. Depending on the thickness of the stem to which such a tag-loop is attached, its thickness can be adjusted.
If you are just learning how to grow tomatoes on your plot, then you will also find our article on how to systematize the seeds of this crop useful.
Do you use tags for vegetables, and which labeling method do you find most convenient?
