Make plant plugs - simple DIY ideas to imitate

In a larger garden you often lose track, even as a gardener. Homemade plant markers help to identify and find the plants.

Even when growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, it is important to mark the individual planters. If you don't do this, you will quickly notice how quickly you can lose track of the seedlings. So you should always sort and mark everything according to plant type when you are preparing the plants. Of course, you can do this best with plant plugs. And later in the field they do great to keep track of the bed. Of course, you don't have to buy plant plugs. You can also easily make them yourself. Here are a few DIY ideas that are also beautiful garden decorations at the same time.

Different ideas for plant plugs

Plant plugs can be made from a wide variety of materials. So here is a small selection of ideas you can use to make a plant plug:

Concrete
Clothespins
Plant pots
Popsicle Sticks
Shells
stones
branches

The great thing: making plant plugs is not difficult at all. It doesn't take much time, nor do you need a lot of materials for it. Let yourself be inspired by our ideas.

DIY instructions for plant plugs

❍ Use stones to mark plants:

Plant stones are ideal for larger plants. In order to be able to use a plant stone to identify a plant, you need a stone and a waterproof felt-tip pen. The stone should be as large as possible so that the name of the plant can be placed on it. In addition, light-colored pebbles are more suitable to guarantee better legibility. Simply wash the stone thoroughly and write the name of the plant on it. Then place it next to where the growth is.

Tip:
Make sure you don't water the stone regularly, otherwise it will get dirty and the writing will become dirtymay become illegible.

❍ Plant markers made from clothespins:

Clothespins are ideal for identifying plants. However, they should be made of wood. To make the plugs you will need:

Wooden clothespins
Skewers
Soldering iron or permanent marker

Depending on which variant you choose, you now have to write the names of the plants on the clothespin. A branding iron with a narrow tip even makes it possible to burn the name into the wood. The advantage: it stays on the material even in bad weather. Even with a waterproof felt-tip pen there is a risk that it will fade over time and become unreadable.

If the name of the plant is on the clothespin, all you have to do is clamp it to the skewer and you can stick it into the ground. With this variant it is also possible to mark several plants with a single skewer using the appropriate clothespins by aligning the name according to the growth place.

❍ Use popsicle sticks and branches as plant plugs:

With this idea, you simply take a couple of popsicle sticks and write on them either with a soldering iron or with a waterproof felt-tip pen. You can then simply stick the popsicle sticks into the ground.

A very similar variant works with branches. To do this, simply remove a piece of the bark at one end with a knife and enter the plant name on the free space. Then just stick the other end into the ground.

❍ Shell and Clay Pot Plant Studs:

This variation works similar to the one you use a clothespin for. Instead of the clothespin, however, small clay pots or shells are used. For this idea you will need:

Shells or Clay Pots
waterproof felt pen
Skewers
Hot Glue

All you have to do is write the name of the plant on both the clay pots and the shells using a felt-tip pen. You should tip the clay pots over for the labeling so that the upper opening is at the bottom. Then take the skewers and cover the tip with some hot glue. The shells or clay pots are now attached to this. Then they can also simply be stuck into the ground.

❍Concrete Plant Stake:

These instructions are a bit more complex and require a few more accessories. But the effort is worth it! For the concrete plant plugs you need:

Silicone mold (e.g. an ice cube mold that is no longer needed)
longer needle
Cooking Oil
Skewer
Water
quick setting dry concrete

❶ First of all, you need to prepare the mold. To do this, poke a hole in the silicone with a needle at the point where the grill skewer will later be inserted as a holder. Then treat the mold with the cooking oil to make it easier to remove the dry plug later. Then insert the skewer into the hole provided so that its end is in the middle of the dish.

❷ Then put some water in a bowl and gradually add the concrete so that a viscous paste is formed. Then pour the concrete into the prepared mold and fill it up to the edge. To avoid bubbles, simply hold the mold in both hands and tap it lightly on the table.

❸ If you want, you can now press decorative elements such as marbles or colored stones into the wet concrete. This should then dry thoroughly, for which most types of concrete require about three days. You should then push the plug out of the mold and let it dry for a few more days.

❹ Finally, you should spray on a coat of clear coat to seal it.

❺ You can now easily write the name of the plant on the plug with a waterproof felt-tip pen and then stick it in the appropriate pot or bed.