Collect, put in plastic bag, secure and put in trash. Continue as needed.

They won't get completely out of control because the environmental conditions will change -- warmer and drier.

Sprays won't stop them from growing nor will they cover the smell.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of mulch do you use?

Honestly I'm not sure. My brother got it (they live around the corner from us) and dropped a bunch of bags off for us. It's wood and dark brown (not the black). I'm tempted next year to completely clear out the mulch and get rocks if it ends up being too much work (I'm kind of sick of pulling them out at this point). I'm not sure if rubber mulch would help or if it would be too expensive. ??

Oh, come on....don't lose faith with the mulch! The stinkhorns are only temporary, after all....and they won't keep appearing once the mulch is 'digested'. It's that ugly fruiting body that is the stinky part....I hate to tell you but the 'white, moldy looking stuff' is the mycelium and hyphae of the mushroom...the true fungus body responsible for the decomposition of the mulch. It continues to do its work even if you remove all of the stinkhorns. That stuff isn't stinky, though.

Mulch composed of organic matter (something that was once alive...like bark, wood chips, pine straw, etc.) is hugely beneficial to the soil/root system of your beautiful roses. This type of mulch buffers the soil from temperature extremes and from drought; it provides an environment for the absolutely essential soil microorganisms that support plant life; organic mulch is a slow source of nutrients as it decomposes (thank you, stinkhorn, et al).

Rock does nothing to benefit the soil/root system and rubber mulch...you gotta be kidding? Molly, do you know how toxic that stuff is?

OK, your mulch layer shouldn't be any more than 2 to 4 inches (at MOST). In my experience with stinkhorns, they are more common in wood chip mulch rather than pine bark or pine straw. I'd simply keep removing them...the reproduction period (when the mushrooms emerge) will cease soon. As Jean mentioned, climatic conditions will change and the triggers to form the mushrooms will disappear. Daylength has something to do with the emergence of some mushrooms, too.

I honestly don't want to change to rocks or rubber mulch (and no, didn't know it was toxic, is the stuff on the playgrounds toxic too? I have a four year old!) I love how mulch looks, not that that's a good reason. I know very little about landscaping (like the "didn't know what annuals vs. perennials were two years ago" kind of inexperienced)and was getting pretty excited over how involved I've gotten this year and how I didn't kill any plants, so I think I just got discouraged by the smelly things, and panicked when I read some accounts of how they "got out of control". I felt like I was screwing up everything I'd accomplished somehow. But it's been drier the past last night and sunny all day today and none popped up. (Although I can smell some, which means they're in a neighbor's yard or are hiding under bushes in my yard and I just can't see them).

I still think we may have overmulched, not even in relation to the mushrooms, just that we got it too thick. Does that hurt any of the plants or is it the type of thing where we can just leave it and not add any next year?

Thanks for the help by the way!!!

I felt like I was screwing up everything I'd accomplished somehow.

No way! All kinds of interesting things will grow in mulch, as said above. It's just part of the decomposition process and the end results are beneficial to your plants.

Does that hurt any of the plants or is it the type of thing where we can just leave it and not add any next year?

If the plants are growing, they are fine with it. Nobody can say if you should add more next spring but you - since you will be able to see your garden.