Hoopers takes the Guess Work out of Starting an Oyster Garden
If you’ve ever considered growing oysters on your own dock, we’ve created the perfect package to garden the Chespeake’s keystone species: The Eastern Oyster! We’ve taken the guess work out of starting an oyster garden so you can enjoy watching them grow and support other organisms in your water.
This package will be ready to toss in the water the minute you get home with no fuss. All seed and equipment will be appropriately sized and require very little maintenance over time. As you grow these little seed into adult oysters, you will see firsthand how important these bivalves are to this estuary. As adults, oysters can filter 1.3 gallons of water an hour, removing excess nutrients and capturing suspended sediment.
These seed will provide habitat for young fish, crabs, and grass shrimp. From filtering water, to providing habitat, your oyster garden will do a whole lot of good in the body of water that it occupies!
What’s in the Kit?
Each oyster garden package will come with 1,000 seed greater than 8mm in size and floating mesh bags that can support your seed until they are 2- 2 1/2 inches in size.
Gardeners that have purchased from us in the past that are just looking to reseed their garden may request a refill package with a minimum of 1,000 seed.
Oyster Gardener Fridays
Starting in 2021, all gardener orders will be filled on the last Friday of every month between March and October in the year. Natalie Ruark (Nursery Manager) will be onsite in our Cambridge office between 12-4 to answer any questions you might have about equipment or growing your seed. We’ll also be providing downloadable info sheets that cover frequently asked questions to help make enjoying your oyster garden easier.
Gardener Open House Dates 2021
March 26/April 30/May 28/ June 25/July 30/ August 27/ September 24/October 29
Little Kit, Big Help
Oyster gardening gives everyone who lives on the Chesapeake the opportunity to put more oysters back in the Bay. Bivalves are vital to the Bay’s ecological recovery and by having an oyster garden you can be part of the effort to help restore the Chesapeake’s once historic oyster population. The state of Maryland even offers a $500 tax credit to help you start your garden. These filter feeders whether they exist on a natural reef or in a basket in your back yard right off the dock make a huge difference in their environment.
To place an order for your oyster gardening package click here.