www.shellfishgarden.com

Lets get this forum started with descriptions and possibly photos of how you grow your geoduck.

I've had good success using the standard approach - PVC tubes with the netting over the top. The first year I had very good survival - I was surprised since the geoducs we're so small. Next year I put the tubes up too far above the surface and I ended up creating a trap for hermit crabs - they couldn't get out. There were probably 100 small herimit crabs stuck in some tubes. Not good survival that year. Tubes need to hold water at low tide but not stick out so far that you trap crabs or other predators.

I usually put out 20 each year and rotate the tubes and netting after 2 years. I have been doing it for 5 years now, so I think I'll pull a few this year and see how big they are.

Some tips for others doing this would include consideration of any potential boat impacts (e.g.friends landing their boats on top of your geoduc patch), and think about where you want to be digging them in a few years (I put some in a muddy area and it will be a mess getting them dug there). Also plant them in regularly spaced rows with landmarks so you can easily locate them in 5 years.