I live in N. Il. and a few years back had some old elm trees cut down around the perimeter of the yard, one was a few feet in diameter. I had the tree guys grind the trunk down and spread the chips on the side of the drive. About 2 years after this I spotted a few what I thought were morels popping up around the old trunk sight. I let them be and the next year there were more. I let let them go again and this year I had about 40-50 come up. By the time I noticed them they were about 2-4 inches tall, critters started getting at them so I cut holes in large cardboard boxes and covered them. They are now about 5-6 inches tall. I brought them to a buddies mom who has hunted them for years to ID. She said they were, hollow stem and brain like convolutions were the indicators. Now I have a few questions.
Should I pick all or will that hurt next years crop?
Wash after picking and before storage or right before eating?
How big should I let them get before picking?
Can I dry them to reconstitute later (to eat with my fresh venison tenderloins in the fall)? How do you dry them.
How soon should I eat the fresh ones after picking?
Is there anything I can do to keep them happy and reproducing?
This spot is 20 feet from my front door and from what I hear this is a culinary gold mine, I want to do whatever I can to keep it productive.

WHEN THE SHROOMS START TO TURN COLOR OR GET CRUMBLY...YOU SHOULD PICK. DON'T RINSE IF YOUR GOING TO DRY AT 90 DEGREES FOR A FEW DAYS.( IVE DONE IT AND THE MICRO SPORES REALLY SPREAD ON A GLASS TABLE, TRY IT .) YOU CAN RINSE WHEN YOU GET THEM IF YOU DECIDE TO EAT RIGHT AWAY. I USE THE SPRAY HANDLE ON THE SINK SUPER COLD WATER, ON LOW SO YOU DON'T DAMAGE THE PITS. YOU NEED TO GET THE JUNK OUT OF THE PORES...BUGS ETC. THEN SPLIT TOP TO BOTTOM SO YOU DON'T EAT ANY SLUGS OR SPIDERS. AS FAR AS WHEN TO EAT THEM I WOULD CHILL FOR AS MANY DAYS POSSIBLE 5 OR SO. YOU HAVE ALREADY LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON LEAVING THEM TO SPREAD IN PAST YEARS. SO LEAVE A FEW THIS YEAR AND WHEN YOU ARE DONE CLEANING THE OTHERS TAKE THE LITTLE PIECES AND THROW THEM BACK THERE ON YOUR SPOT...SOUND LIKE YOU HAVE A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN AND STUDY THE ELUSIVE MOREL. GOOD LUCK..........

When you pick then try not to disturb the root. I store mine in a paper bag in the fridge, unwashed, they get mushy after washed.
You can string them up to dry, or cut them in half and freeze, rinse before eating. Pick them before they get to old or they will be crumbly. A good way tocook them is rinse lightly,dip in egg/milk roll in flour and corn meal fry in hot oil salt lightly,enjoy!

WHAT I MEANT TO SAY IS IF YOU LET THEM GET TO THE CRUMBLY STAGE THEN ITS TOO FAR ALONG. I HAVE LEFT THEM IN WATER FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. IF YOUR GOING TO EAT LATER THAN THAT, THEN LEAVE THEM CHILLED WITH OUT WATER. JUST THROW THEM IN THE FRIDGE AND DONT EVEN RINSE.

Being this is just a former tree stump, I wouldnt worry about how you pick them because odds are your not going to get many more from that spot anymore, usually its only a couple years maybe once the tree has been removed, so pick away and good eating

You can go ahead and eat them, because they spread spores. The spores are like seeds for them, so eat em. One of the big elm trees I know had lost some of it's best crop because it's right next to a deer trail.

Along with the great advice given in this post, it is suggested you visit The Great Morel

Check out the the FAQ page for starters, then hit the Preserving page for preserving suggestions, and the Growing Tips page. You'll find lots of information as well as advice and contributions from shroomers that will add insight to your questions.

See the question on "When should I pick them?" which shows harvested morels in a healthy and not so healthy stage.

The Great Morel