How long until they are eater size?

[Jaspernuts]

Went out yesterday and found some small ones, about the size of a fingernail. How long until they are big enough to pick?

[goblueM]

to what are you referring? Morels? Fiddleheads? Ramps?

[Jaspernuts]

Morels.

[JIvers]

Went out yesterday and found some small ones, about the size of a fingernail. How long until they are big enough to pick?

They were probably ready to pick yesterday.

Morels, in my experience, pop up quickly, rather than grow slowly. If you found those thumbnail-sized morels on private ground, they will probably be thumbnail-sized tomorrow, only drier.

If these are the first morels to come up in that area, and if you found them by Madison Lake they probably are, that might be all the bigger they get. Small grays do not grow in to large yellows.

If you found them on public ground, they may well be gone today.

I myself do not leave morels in the ground to grow, whether I am on public or private ground. Too many bad things can happen to them, and most of the time leaving them to stand another day doesn't lead to bigger morels.

[NoWiser]

I've had the exact opposite experience. I don't think I have ever NOT seen morels grow if I find them the first day or two after they popped. Friday I found two of them (my first of the year) and by Saturday they had doubled in size. My dad found about 50 of them on Sunday and let them go. He went back last night and said they had grown from an average size of just over an inch to most being over 3" tall. He let them go and I'll report back what they are tonight.

If I find morels on private land that I know won't get sniped on me, and they look like they just popped, I will almost always let them grow. If there is dry, windy weather in the forecast, then you should pick them while they are still fresh. This is just my experience, others may differ. Most of my picking is done in the South Metro, Western Wisconsin, and South Western Wisconsin.

Alright, time to get out of here and into the woods. I scored 80 acres of prime private property to pick last night! Better go check it out.

[goblueM]

I second eyehunter

[schr0563]

I find a few morels growing in my backyard in Eden Prairie every year. This year is no different, I found 2 on Sunday afternoon growing in my landscaping woodchips. I picked one to show my wife, left the second one to see if it would grow as it was less than an inch tall. As of last night this morel had doubled in size to almost 2 inches. I beieve the warm wet weather we have had played a huge part in this. Cool, and or dry conditions seem to stunt their growth.