I just found my first of the season "Hen of the Woods". It's still quite small, only about softball size. Most of those I've found in the past were soccer to basketball size and I know that they can grow even larger. Because they're nearby where I'm easily able to later return for more -- provided no one or nothing else eats or destroys it -- I'd usually just cut off a few pieces at a time. In this case, it was more an issue of keeping them fresh/ lack of storage than expecting them to continue to grow larger.
Now, with this new one still small, is slicing off parts detrimental to its potential growth?
Can it still grow from where it was cut or does that part "scar"/callous over?
Will it cause it to develop new "caps" or cause the existing ones to grow more?
Is it OK to harvest small amount at a time or better to be patient and wait?
Thanks