I would like to plant a witch hazel in my yard. Can you tell me the difference between the native plant and the Asian variety? Is one more suited to our area than the other?

Actually, there are two species from Asia (Hamamelis mollis and Hamamelis japonica), and there is also a group of plants that are hybrids of these two species. The hybrids are some of the most popular in the nursery industry.

There are two native species. Hamamelis virginiana is the witch hazel that is native to Maryland. It grows abundantly in our state parks and other natural areas. It is a tall, loose-growing small tree or large shrub (20-30 feet) that flowers in late fall -- often before the leaves have dropped. The second species native to the United States is Hamamelis vernalis. Maryland is not within its native habitat, but it grows naturally to our west, from Missouri to Louisiana and Oklahoma. It flowers at the same time as the Asian species in late winter and very early spring.

The vernal witch hazel and the Asian hybrids tend to be smaller and more compact than our common witch hazel, but most people agree that the native species is more suited to our area.

We have neglected our compost pile for several years, but would like to use the compost to start a new vegetable garden in the spring. Is the compost still good?

If you did not cover the compost pile, rainfall has probably leached out some of its nutritional value. However, it still has great value as a soil conditioner. I would use your compost in the new garden, but I would also work in some composted manure to make up for what nutrients may have been lost. This combination should get your vegetable garden off to a good start in the spring.

Checklist

1. Pick your green tomatoes before the first frost and find a good pickle recipe or place them in a closed bag or container with a ripe apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas that will help ripen the tomatoes.

2. Spray trees and shrubs that have had scale or adelgid problems with a dormant oil spray. Temperatures must remain above freezing for 24 hours after spraying.

3. There is no need to add a "compost bioactivator" to your compost pile. Research shows that finished compost and a nitrogen fertilizer are the best materials to add to get a compost pile working.

Dennis Bishop is an urban horticulture educator for the Baltimore office of the Maryland Cooperative Extension. If you have a gardening or pest problem, you can call the Home and Garden Information Center hot line (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at 800-342-2507. You can also e-mail questions, order publications and diagnose plant problems by visiting the Web site, www.hgic.umd.edu.