I will attach my tags to the fig pots and not to the tree

i just write on the container. what are they going to do? walk away? 

Hi,
To avoid wounds to the trees, I would throw a stick in the pot and tie the label firmly to the stick .

I just cut strips out of aluminum pepsi cans, press hard with a ball point over my mouse pad, and emboss the name.  Then I punch it with a hole puncher, put a zip tie in there and hang it on a branch. 

I should have said large trees.  In an orchard the tags do walk away, and the old farmer cant remember so well, etc.   I didnt think this would apply to small trees in pots.
   Trees eat things.  A nail doesnt hurt big trees  

LOL; no bikes please!

How about long deck screws for tags?
I have used them to attach some red car-traffic reflectors
on our/public sidewalk tree. My house is on a 'T' street.

Believe me, that tree was hit more than once before, who
knows, maybe those same reflectors did save one human life?

The other end of my street also ends up to a T junction.
True, 2-4 years ago, I saw some flowers at the base of an old oak tree there.
Later and sadly, local news revealed that some poor guy somehow managed to kill himself there.

If you do this make sure you don't use copper nails they will kill the tree

[QUOTE=gorgi]Long deck screws for tags?[/QUOTE]

Screws sounds like a good idea.  As the trunk grows and reduces the space behind the tag, just unscrew it a little more.

Will the iron from the nails/screws leech into fig juices?  perhaps use plastic coated screws?  Do they make BPA-Free plastic coated screws?  lol

A while back, I purposely hammered a few 1.5 - 2.0" copper nails to kill an unwanted maple tree.
They did squat!?!
Is true that Cu kills trees?

I used stainless steel screws to attach tags to my white sapote trees so that I could back out the screw over time.  I've had problems with those trees "swallowing" up tags more than any other.

I never heard that copper nails would kill a tree and have my doubts about that.  It's quite common to use copper sprays as a fungicide for some trees.  Not that I'm advising nails in trees.

Use those embossable, dog-tag style, rustproof (copper-aluminum) plant tags and hang them off a branch by a solid brass ball chain.  Make sure the chain is made from solid brass ...plated chins will rust and corrode.  I never had a tree lose a name tag.  It's cheap, and there's no need to nail/screw anything into the tree.


Frank

Over the years I lost many, many tags on 2 1/2 acres of family fruit. I lost my memory too!  I thought I'd never forget what were the trees, but I did forget them.  The tags were attached with wires or zip ties. You cant trust either of those in an orchard.
  OH and I had a map too for fruit trees and roses.  poof , gone

Nails/screws are ONLY feasibly to mature trees.
Plenty of time for them other tags to be (one way) blown off young ones by just wind.

  Frank, your bronze chain sounds about right for me.  I should add a  stake or pot tag for good measure!  LOL   I'm paranoid after creating
some "unknowns"   

poor kid left his bike there for snack and the tree ate his bike.. lol

@ Soni,

The tags cannot come off the trees once the are chained to a branch, not even in high winds.  You must unclip the chain to remove the tag, and the tag is embossed with the varietal name, so no fading.  I like the copper tags.  They oxidize and turn a bronzey-brown, but either the aluminum or copper tags work.  I have the same tags on my trees since 2007.  The brass chain and end-clips can be bought in any hardware store or Home Depot.  I bring a small magnet and test the chains and make sure that they are solid brass and not a cheap, plated chain.  Stainless chain would work too.

If you want extra insurance, drill two closely spaced holes in the top edge of your pot, weave the brass chain through both holes and hang the tag either on the outside or inside of the pot.  You'll never misidentify your trees again.

Frank

  Thanks for the good advice,  and on how to test the metal,   You're a smart cookie.