I gave up buying the write-on plant tags a good while ago. They quickly became illegible because of the outdoor conditions. That is very frustrating when you are tracking when you planted or propagated them, the source, the plant name and variety, and other info.
My solution was to engrave tags I cut from aluminum drink cans. I do not drink soda, so I have people who save them for me. I do infrequently consume a health drink in an aluminum can, but I need many times more for my gardening needs.
I cut the ends off of the cans with a sharp paring knife. Then I cut the tube down the middle with a pair of scissors. Then it is easy to cut off the tags in the size you need. After that, I use a ballpoint pen on a paper tablet to engrave the information I want. I punch a hole with a single-hole puncher. Then I use galvanized wire to attach it to the plant. I started doing this several years ago, and the plant tags are still legible. I am not losing pertinent information any longer.
If you do this, you do so at your own risk. You should wear gloves and work in a way so you do not cut yourself. However, I do not wear gloves and have never been cut doing this, but I take my time and try to do it when there are no distractions.
If I am short on time and have a job that I need to do quickly that requires only a few tags, I will buy a pack of ready-made engravable tags. These ready-made tags are good in a pinch, but the cost adds up when doing hundreds of plants at a time.
