Cherry, pear tomatoes best types for valley

A: Some successful tomatoes here include the cherry tomatoes and yellow pear. They are pretty easy to grow if you get them in early and prepare the soil with compost. Cherry tomatoes include Sweet 100, Sweet Million and Gardeners Delight. If you can find Santorini give it a try as well.

Regular tomatoes to give a try include Early Girl, Champion, Celebrity, Jet Star, Patio, Ace, Big Boy and Better Boy. Probably the more difficult to grow in our climate are many of the heirloom types; they require some real dedication to grow them here. The weather has to cooperate as well and they do better if we don’t get an early heat wave.

Don’t forget to fertilize them about every three weeks.

Q: I have a question about a D.D. Blanchard magnolia. Any tips for its success here in Las Vegas? My online reading reveals the need to “water frequently,” especially during the first three years. Any greater insight you can offer in that regard? Also, are the stated dimensions of up to 50 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide realistic for here in Vegas?

A: Magnolia grandiflora or Southern magnolia, any of them, are not a good choice for our climate and soils. I have spotted several in the valley, with one in the area around West Sahara Avenue and Lindell Road getting to be 20 feet tall, but that is a rarity. When they have done well they have been on the north side of a home and growing in grass.

Over the decades, Southern magnolia has been tried over and over with very little success. The leaves usually begin to scorch if planted in a hot location or in rock and develops yellowing (iron chlorosis).

A better choice as far as magnolias are concerned might be the star magnolia. The star magnolia is the smallest of the magnolias so it will be in scale with a home. I don’t know of any planted in Las Vegas but it does adapt to some of our Western soils. I have seen it growing on the campus at the University of Utah where there are alkaline soils.

As far as its heat tolerance, it does well in Florida and many of the Southern states. It might be worth a try.

Prune it into a small tree form rather than a shrub. I would use lots of organic amendments, put it on the east side or protect it from late afternoon sun. Mulch it with 4 inches of coarse wood mulch.

Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Direct gardening questions to the master gardener hot line at 257-5555 or contact Morris by e-mail at morrisr@unce.unr.edu.