best tool to mark trees?

ethompson

5 year old buck +
Not tags but what do you use to mark the tags? I do it every year but they disappear over time and with the post about Chinkapins, looks like I going to be planting more trees. Dang it. I have already ordered a different type of chestnut but only 3. Looks like 3 more now. And I haven't even ordered chestnut seeds yet. Its very frustrating when someone asks me "what kind of tree is that one?" and I have to think about it. During winter or early fall when we get most visitors. What I want is for them to walk over to the tree grab the tag and read a description of the tree especially when I am not there. I still remember the months and years trees were planted, but that's slowly slipping away. I want the kids to be able to tell their kids what kind of tree it is and when it was planted.
Thanks.
 
Get aluminum tags a,d mark with an ballpoint pen. Lasts forever.
 
You mean its that simple? I don't need some kind of expensive machine? I will give that a shot. Thanks Prof.
I take that back Prof. I don't want people to try to read my chicken scratch.
 
and I just ordered chestnut seeds from chestnut ridge.
 
You can get aluminum flashing in a roll, cut off into rectangles/squares and use a awl with a rounded off point to press in the name, use a drill or nail to punch holes and what ever for wire. Done deal cheap. I use those tags you pictured but the sooner you can replace them with something more permanent the better. I still have a mess to replace but they can tear off, they are really just tin foil over cardboard.
 
You can get aluminum flashing in a roll, cut off into rectangles/squares and use a awl with a rounded off point to press in the name, use a drill or nail to punch holes and what ever for wire. Done deal cheap. I use those tags you pictured but the sooner you can replace them with something more permanent the better. I still have a mess to replace but they can tear off, they are really just tin foil over cardboard.
I usually upgrade the cheap aluminum tags with a stronger tie, but they last for 15+ years for me.
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D9MTSV5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have been using these, but I dont know how long they will last. There are 10 different collors, I hang the color on the tree, or the cage, and mark the color on my chart to what that color represent, I found out I have more then 10 different trees, so I just doubled up, red/blue, red white, red red, it gave me many more options.
 
That tag from forestry suppliers is what I use and I tie them on the inside of tree cage
 
I’m going to start keeping records on oak trees with numbered cattle ear tags. Someone on here suggested it a while back and I think it is a great idea. I may create an Excel database on each tree to keep records on production from year to year.

As far as the aluminum tags, some will fall all to pieces quickly and others will last a few years. All brands are not created equal. I’ve had the best luck with Impresso but couldn’t find them when I recently looked. With them make sure you don’t use the little wire that comes with them. It doesn’t last long. I carry a roll of electric fence wire to use in its place.
 
Funny no one has came up with embedded chips, and using a wand. You could add so much more info to them.
 
Aluminum flashing and a cheap engraver=about as close to forever as you're gonna get.
 
I’m going to start keeping records on oak trees with numbered cattle ear tags. Someone on here suggested it a while back and I think it is a great idea. I may create an Excel database on each tree to keep records on production from year to year.

As far as the aluminum tags, some will fall all to pieces quickly and others will last a few years. All brands are not created equal. I’ve had the best luck with Impresso but couldn’t find them when I recently looked. With them make sure you don’t use the little wire that comes with them. It doesn’t last long. I carry a roll of electric fence wire to use in its place.
You can still get the Amekron Impress-O -Tags on Amazon.
 
I like aluminum fire extinguisher inspection tags. I use the back of them. I usually stamp them since I have metal stamp set but a good hard push from a ball point pen on a notebook or something behind the tag with a little give works fine. Now a buddy of a buddy has a laser ingraving machine and I’ve been very very tempted to find some granite remnants and have him laser etch the fruit trees verity on them and bury them flush with soil level in front of each tree.
 
I cut up beer cans and use a pen to dent as I write on them.

The plus is you get to have a beer…

Clearly, there are some east texans in your family tree

bill
 
I use vinyl siding and a carpenters pencil. They look as good today as they did 8 years ago.
 
Aluminum flashing and a cheap engraver=about as close to forever as you're gonna get.
I've used that method for small amount of $$$. I also use scrap drip edge from roofing material. Tin snips cut easily. $20 engraver. I put the apple variety, the rootstock it's grafted to, and the year I planted it on the tags. I tie the tags on with #12 gauge insulated, solid copper wire. The wire tie will outlast YOU - and twists on with your fingers.

As a back-up plan, I also entered all tree info on our computer, and printed out the trees' locations and details on paper. I put all those pages in a 3-ring binder / notebook. If after all that the tree info gets lost after I'm gone .......... tough darts.
 
Top