I've had a dwarf meyer lemon tree for 6 or 7 years now in a container. We live in zone 6, so I bring it in for the winter. It's always been healthy, and I fertilize it with blood meal in the spring and some plant food in the summer. Problem is, there have never been any blossoms or fruit. It gets plenty of sun throughout the year and I water it regularly. It had a bad scale infestation last year but I got rid of it. Am I doing something wrong? Why are there no flowers?
Citrus need a rest peroid or stress to induce flowering. In temperate zones like the US, that comes from cold exposure. Citrus need about 800 hours of cold exposure (below 65F) to induce flower. In tropical climates the stress is provided by drought. A long dry period followed by frequent rain induces flowers.
So, should I just keep it in my garage out of the sun and warmth? Or should I just quit watering it and leave it in the sun?
If your garage is cool (below 65) you can put it there for the winter and it should do fine with minimal water. That should provide the stress needed for bloom. Citrus trees do not need much light when they are dormant. Exposure to direct sun while the roots are cool will cause winter leaf drop.
