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Post by littleminnie on Mar 22, 2011 15:16:23 GMT -5
The first thing I sell at market is seedlings/plants. Anyone else? I am trying to simplify the choices for people. I usually make a couple pages of each plant with a photo and description for perennials and herbs. The pages are back to back in a clear cover and placed by the trays. It is okay, but never that great. People want the photo tags when you get down to it. I don't know if I can make usable photo tags like at nurseries and have them be waterproof too- even just for market.
I have been planning ahead for my veggie seedlings and cut out pics and descriptions from catalogs of some of the varieties. I want to make a big page of them to set up behind the plants to tell them about these unusual names that they haven't heard of. I want to organize the types into groups and place each group in its own tray. I haven't decided how to group them yet either. Then each big paper-board could be for one tray. I am thinking of pinning the boards to the canopy sides. I figure I might as well work this out in winter. The first market day resembles a chicken with no head usually for me.
So just wanted to get a discussion going on seedlings at market. How would you organize your plants? by color, by type of plant, by type of fruit, some other way?
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 22, 2011 15:56:00 GMT -5
By the time my market opens it is too late to plant potted annuals and get a harvest this year. I do not grow flowers due to taxation and regulatory complications.
I could grow herbs and spices. I've collected chives from my tilled field and have pots for them. I'm intending to plant those in pots in the next few days. Any suggestions on how many bulbs per 2" pot?
I've been laminating most of the signs and photos that I take to market to waterproof them and make them usable week after week. My main trouble with that strategy has been residue from the tape I use to hang them.
I saw one farmer that organized his plants by habitat: xeric, shade-loving, sun-loving, etc... I really liked that strategy.
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Post by Darth Slater on Mar 22, 2011 17:23:18 GMT -5
I need some system for water proof tags, I have a problem every year with fading and missing tags.. I guess i could take an evening and get an engraver and make metal ones but they all change from year to year.
Darth
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 22, 2011 18:18:50 GMT -5
I've had good success with Sharpie on wood.
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Post by grunt on Mar 22, 2011 23:19:06 GMT -5
Used venetian blinds, cut into 6" strips = write on them with pencil, pen or sharpie.
cheap enough to throw away at the end of the season.
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Post by iva on Mar 23, 2011 1:43:45 GMT -5
My main trouble with that strategy has been residue from the tape I use to hang them. Two holes at the top and a twine to hang them somewhere could solve the problem with the residue  |
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Post by garnetmoth on Mar 23, 2011 7:19:15 GMT -5
Joseph- I split some chives for a market day with my friend last year, and they were a little floppy as I split them too late. I have kept them watered and they look nice this year. I put 4-5 plantlets in 4" pots and they only look a little sparse. Id probably go with 5-7 so they fill the pot well and will take off pretty quickly.
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Post by puttgirl on Apr 1, 2011 21:26:38 GMT -5
If you have 16 oz. sour cream containers-cut them in strips, punch a hole for tying, and use a Sharpie, it works great.
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1066
gopher
Posts: 38
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Post by 1066 on Apr 2, 2011 9:39:19 GMT -5
I realise they are not exactly waterproof but I use sticky address labels for our local plant sales, and if I have the time and energy I print them off, or more likely just write on them.
The other idea would be to use a website or blog, to put details of the plants you currently have on sale, details, pictures, instructions etc, what market you will be at and when etc and then point people in that direction - saves on paper
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Post by Leenstar on Apr 3, 2011 20:50:29 GMT -5
Used venetian blinds, cut into 6" strips = write on them with pencil, pen or sharpie. cheap enough to throw away at the end of the season. I read somewhere that venetian blinds have lead in the plastic making them not so great for putting in soil with plants for eating. I think this is where I saw it: www.utoronto.ca/kids/blinds.htm |
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Post by grunt on Apr 4, 2011 0:43:51 GMT -5
I think you will find that the lead content has been eliminated by legal restrictions on it. I doubt that the amount that would leach into the soil over a season would be great enough to pose any problem at all. From personal experience, I can tell you that high lead levels in the soil do not necessarily lead to high lead content in what is grown in the soil = I ate potatoes on a daily basis, that were grown in soil that tested amongst the highest on the coast for lead and other metals. I had lower blood lead levels than other Coast Guard employees that lived in town and ate store bought potatoes.
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Post by mjc on Apr 4, 2011 6:29:11 GMT -5
Used venetian blinds, cut into 6" strips = write on them with pencil, pen or sharpie. cheap enough to throw away at the end of the season. I read somewhere that venetian blinds have lead in the plastic making them not so great for putting in soil with plants for eating. I think this is where I saw it: www.utoronto.ca/kids/blinds.htmSimple...don't use cheap Chinese imported blinds. They are the ones that tend to skirt the restrictions and often end up being recalled because of it. |
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Post by littleminnie on Apr 4, 2011 19:06:36 GMT -5
On the tomato forum someone had a picture of plastic spoons for labels. I am thinking about getting some in a color right for my booth and writing on the spoon. It looked really cute.
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Post by puttgirl on Apr 9, 2011 23:07:27 GMT -5
I need some system for water proof tags, I have a problem every year with fading and missing tags.. I guess i could take an evening and get an engraver and make metal ones but they all change from year to year. Darth I've had good luck with these...16 oz sour cream containers, you can punch holes in them for tying, too. Attachments:
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Post by pantherrr on Apr 12, 2011 15:46:51 GMT -5
I usually use the white plastic orange juice jugs, (trace a wooden plant marker onto them as a template), cut up like the sour cream container idea, use paint marker on them to have something that will stand up to the elements for most of the season (I reapply if it seems like they're fading)
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