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I'm trying to protect a giant puffball from elements while it grows under a 5 gallon bucket, and so far so good, but how long can I allow a puffball to grow for (in days)?

black thumb
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  • Until it turns grey and disperses its spores? I *guess* you mean something like “... and still enjoy it as a meal”? Btw, I never heard of anyone actually bothering to cover it up, they grow just fine without a gardener’s interference. – Stephie Aug 25 '19 at 20:35
  • @Stephie by the time it has spores, it's not fit to eat (and will give an upset stomach, or worse). A rule of thumb is harvest them as soon as the outer skin starts to crack. If there is ***anything*** inside except pure white solid flesh when you cut it up, don't eat it! – alephzero Aug 25 '19 at 22:31
  • @alephzero I know that - but this is *Gardening SE*, not *Cooking SE*. So culinary use is not the default here. – Stephie Aug 26 '19 at 02:45
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    Well, since the speed of development of any living organism depends on the environment, the question is unanswerable even if the OP defines what "fully grown" means. In practice you know it was "fully grown yesterday" when it self-destructs today. On the other hand "how long can I *safely* let it grow for, before harvesting it to eat" does have an answer - check it every day and when the skin cracks harvest it. – alephzero Aug 26 '19 at 10:16
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    @Stephie questions about growing trees, and plants go here, so logically questions about growing edible fungi belong here also – black thumb Aug 27 '19 at 17:42

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