Tree labels - metal foil ideas?

[islandguy]

Would like to get a long term answer for labeling/signage for a couple hundred trees of 40 plus varieties. One idea would be some kind of thin metal foil somewhere in thickness between kitchen foil and flashing (what is used in roofing jobs) then you could press letters into it with a scribe or pen. Better if non toxic to plants and weather resistant. Anybody seen a product like this in Thailand? Any other ideas? A place to buy such a product in Chiamg Mai or on line would be great! ??

[gwynt]

Have you thought of using electrical cable ties with the slip on numbers that should be available in wholesalers and the a spread sheet linking the numbers to the tree variety saved to your computer?

[islandguy]

Thought of numbering them, yes. Could link it to a tablet so one could wander around and get a lot of info on each variety. But would also like to have something with Thai and English names and maybe Latin name as well for 'browsing'. Your method would be fast, only real drawback would be if you didn't replace the ties in time and cut into the growing tree. Any thoughts on an easy way to deal with that?

[ravip]

Engraved aluminium or stainless steel as in some hotel key tags.

WX proof and long lasting.

[troysantos]

Cool. On trees with low lying branches you could hang them on the low branches. I think some people pound nails in them but I really don't think that's such a great idea. You could make the cables long enough so that they hang loosely at first, then tighten up over the years. And if someone's going to visit the trees at least fairly often, it shouldn't be much trouble to adjust the cables so they fit better, then before they start to get tight, change them.

[fruitman]

Plastic labels and markers for sure don't last long. I have plastic labels from japan now which are good but somtimes disappear. Birds or squirrels can fall in love with them and just got to have it. I've seen them fighting with my labels.

If you want to have permanent labels you can buy them online in stainless steel and engrave the variety in it with a dremel or cheap engraving machine.

Tie them to the tree with a stainless steel chain or wire and make sure no animal can pull it off or bite the wire. If you have monkeys they might steal your labels and leave the fruit alone.

You can put the label on a pole next to the tree. A concrete or stainless pole and engrave that instead of a label.

[islandguy]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I wouldn't have thought of animals taking them! Pretty sure there are no monkeys, but want to give the squirrels a place to live in peace. I am hoping to get some thin metal that I can engrave/emboss with a pen or simple tool, and be able to keep track of everything for now. Copper foil is probably available but can be fairly toxic to the tree I have heard. Would like to make this work for educational purposes, but that is at least a year or two down the line, so ordering a whole set of engraved tags might be too pricey for now. It would be great to have a real arbortorium style post and engraved sign, but we are still at the small beginnings stage. Really would love a great idea for a fastener that would last a few years without having to maintain or check.

[xen]

Use old metal Venetian blinds if they are available . You can cut the labels to appropriate size and use a permanent marker to write your information.

[islandguy]

Venetian blinds sounds interesting. Could use a paper punch to make a hole for a chain or string. Have you done this outside? How permanent would a permanent marker be?

[drtreelove]

http://www.benmeadows.com/search/aluminum%2Btags/

I use the blue ones.