Been wanting mushroom spawn since our garden club had a presentation on growing mushrooms... if there's anything you want on my list for some of this please let me know, Sam..thanks GINA

I grew shitake on oak logs a few years ago with some success. There are other way to grow them besides on wood, however. The logs were innoculated using a drill to make holes - about and inch or so deep, then wooden dowels that came already "impregnated" with spore were hammered into the holes, which were then sealed with beeswax. The logs were watered regularly - especially in our dry climate - until the mushrooms popped out of the holes. It sounds quite simple - and we had quite a few until the ambient molds invaded (I think penicillium - greenish). I would like to try again, mainly because I make my own garden compost, and some mushrooms are grown in this medium as well. We enjoyed the shitake for quite awhile, but unless there is a fairly clean environment for them, it is difficult to keep them from being taken over by other spores. Also the logs should be cut while the tree still has some sap in it, just any old piece of oak is not suitable - nor soft woods, etc. Just my 2 c's. Bejay

I am 99% sure you have puffballs. If left alone, they might grow to the size of basketballs, or larger. Or they might only grow to that size. There are many species. All are edible (and prized) when young, although I never tell my kids that any mushrooms are edible, even if I know they are. When they grow older, I can teach them what to eat and what to avoid. When the insides of puffballs turn brown, they are mildly toxic (I think, a strong laxitive). There is a 1% chance they are the very young stage of a regular mushroom, in which case I have no idea what species or toxicity. Here is a link that might be useful: Giant Puffball Mushroom

Hi cremin, It looks very much like 'Hen of the Woods' (Grifola frondosa). Among mushroom enthusiats it is considered a choice edible. Dan