The Best Tags for Indoor Seed Starting (Cheap, Easy, Reliable)

If you need cheap, easy-to-use tags for tracking your indoor seedlings, there are several options. We’ve tested several common materials along with the writing tools gardeners like best.

Looking for something crafty? See 25 Creative DIY Plant Markers & Tags for ways to mark outdoor plants while adding a dash of art to the garden.

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Simple & Reliable Plant Tags & Labels

If you like to propagate plants and start seeds indoors, you need a tag or label system to keep track of everything.

These tags need to be easy to write, cheap, and reliable.

To be practical, the tags should be small enough to fit under grow lights but large enough to include details like plant names and sowing dates.

Unlike garden art plant markers, we don’t want anything fancy. Instead, we need something that takes seconds to create and will remain legible throughout the coming months as the plants grow.

When the plants graduate to life outdoors, we may switch to other long-lasting, UV-resistant plant markers or tags, but for now, fast and easy is perfect.

I have tested so many options over the years, and, like many gardeners, keep coming back to the same ones.

Have a look at the suggested tag materials and writing tools and find your winning combination.

Easy Indoor Plant Tags

We’re not trying to win any art contests here. These tags are basic, efficient, reusable, and get the job done.

I like tags that come from repurposed materials and can be reused since this planet is already overflowing with single-use plastics and other trash.

Hopefully, you already own this stuff and can start making tags today.

Contents

• Recommended Tags
• Recommended Writing Tools

Recommended Tags

Window Blind Slats

• vinyl or plastic (make sure they are lead-free and safe for this use)

• Cut the slats to the desired shapes and sizes.

Plastic Food Containers

• Check your recycle bin for any usable plastics including yogurt, ice-cream, or margarine containers. Cut to desired shapes and sizes.

Plastic Plant Tags

• Alternately, you could buy plastic plant tags. They come in various sizes, shapes, and textures.

Some are thin and smooth but become brittle and do not hold up well outdoors.

Thicker plastic tags tend to have a rougher surface which can make fine, neat writing more of a challenge but these tags will last a lifetime (and then some).

Wood Plant Tags

• Like the plastic tags, wood plant tags also come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and textures. Some are rough, some are smooth. Some are prone to water damage, others are longer-lasting.

Before you buy a bunch, test drive some samples to be sure they work.

These birch tags (see them here) are marketed as sustainable and water-resistant.

• Popsicle Sticks are generally not a good choice. Sometimes the surface is so porous that markers bleed and the wood stains or rots when damp. Others have a slick coating that makes writing impossible.

Recommended Writing Tools

The information here is based on my own tests along with top picks from other gardeners. If you have suggestions, be sure to add them in the comments.

Pencils

• HB 2 pencils (get a name brand)
• Charcoal pencils (sold as art supplies)

Yes, the mighty HB 2 pencil is the top, all-round choice!

A good quality HB (hard black) pencil is all you need.

Number 2 on the graphite grading scale (HB 2) is the most popular choice. The grade refers to the hardness of the pencil and how light it writes. The scale ranges from 9H (very light) to 9xxB (very dark). HB 2 is somewhere in the middle.

Beware that there are lots of bad pencils out there and you may get what you pay for. Some say HB 2 but are made from unknown composite materials and don’t work on surfaces like vinyl or plastic.

Spend the extra buck and get a name brand that works nicely. And be sure to get pencil sharpener and eraser as well.

Charcoal pencils are another option.

These are made for sketching and come in various degrees of hardness just like other pencils.

To Remove Pencil From Plant Tags

Try any of these things:

• pencil eraser
• rub with cloth
• dish soap and abrasive side of scrub sponge

Ballpoint Pens

• Ballpoint pens | what works depends on the tag material & type of pen

Pens can work nicely if they don’t smudge but it’s impossible to know without testing on the tag material first.

To Remove Pen From Plant Tags

Try any of these things:

• rub with cloth
• dish soap and abrasive side of scrub sponge

Marking Pens

• Sharpie “Permanent” Pens | may smudge, not fade-resistant
• Paint Pens or Markers | long-lasting, fade-resistant

There are two basic types of marking pens: water-based and oil-based.

Which one you prefer depends on what you want.

Sharpie “permanent” markers (and similar other brands) are not truly permanent. They can smudge on some surfaces and fade in the sun. Because they are water-based, they can wash off most plastic and vinyl surfaces, which may or may not be desirable.

To Remove Sharpie From Plant Tags

Try any of these things:

• rub with cloth
• dish soap and abrasive side of scrub sponge
• WD-40

Paint pens (paint markers) are oil-based and work on many different surfaces including paper, plastic, vinyl, metal, and stone. These pens do not wash off with water and will not fade in the sun, even after years of exposure.

You may also see this same type of pen sold as “Garden Markers” or “fade-proof garden pens.” Double check the product information to confirm they are oil-based.

Sharpie also makes paint pens, different than their “permanent” pens.

For more options, check out paint pens marketed to artists. These come in all sorts of colors and tip sizes.

To Remove Paint Pen From Plant Tags

Try any of these things:

• WD-40
• methyl hydrate
• scrub with something abrasive like baking soda (sometimes works)

Overhead Projector Pens

• Overhead projector pens

Overhead projector pens are made for writing on transparencies but also work on paper, including glossy paper, plastics, vinyl, glass, rock, stone, ceramics, and metal. They are similar to paint pens but can be easier to remove.

One example is Lumocolor permanent pen 318. They are really quick-drying (within a second!) so there’s less smudging (good for left-handed writers) and they do not fade in the sun, which means they are useful both indoors and outdoors.

To Remove Overhead Projector Pen From Plant Tags

Try any of these things:

• Mars plastic eraser
• rub with cloth
• dish soap and abrasive side of scrub sponge
• nail polish remover
• WD-40

Wax Pencils (Grease Pencils, Chinamarker)

• Wax Pencils

Like paint pens, wax pencils also work on all sorts of surfaces including plastics, vinyl, glass, stone, and glossy paper.

As the name implies, most are made from some sort of wax. You may know them as china markers or chinagraph pencils, so named because they adhere to ceramic surfaces.

Unlike other pencils, wax pencils are often wrapped in paper (not wood) and have a thread used to peel back the paper as needed to expose more writing tip.

The drawback is the thick writing tip. You may need larger tags to fit all the words! I find them clunky but some people really like them.

To Remove Wax Pencil From Plant Tags

Try this:

• Rub with a cloth: may also require rubbing alcohol

Let me know which tag system you like best and add any tips in the comments.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

More

• 25 Creative DIY Plant Markers & Tags
• Outdoor DIY Plant Tags & Markers that Last a Lifetime (Really)
• How To Make Plant Tags (Best Practical & Creative Options)