Very simple, depending when trees are put through their resting period after fruiting, they don’t need to go through new growth that soon. Depending on the temps they still need to be fed, lightly. I use Osmocote plus. If you grow them in a greenhouse and still have fruit hanging, they need to be fed. If you keep your temps lower than 56*,they go in semi dormancy and loose their leaves. Lite watering is the ticket to keep roots slightly moist,close to dry. This is what I do year in, year out.

If your trees are going through a nice resting period, you should have a good bloom comes spring. If you don’t than you going to confuse the tree, hard telling what it going to bring you.

Let me guess, nah I better not.

Kevin, unless you provide strong sunlight or light equal to that, your trees will push out weak spindly growth very very susceptible to mites and such. That is why I pull back on all those in the stage Bob talks about to none at all. Bob worded it well

Bob, so far my greenhouse can reach 100F during sunny days and deep down to around 45F to 50F at night or cloudy days. I am a bit confused in rhis situatio. Should I continue to feed my tree or stop?

It is much more difficult to keep a greenhouse cool than it is to heat a greenhouse. At temperatures above 95-F citrus stop all growth, and at temperatures below 55.4-F growth also stops. Without the proper greenhouse equipment, exhausts fans and heaters one cannot give the plants the proper care they require. There is much more to greenhouse cultivation than just having the building.

Good point, Jodi, although I don’t know nothing about greenhouses, I got a green room.

My system, a lot less problems.

Bob, please describe your green room system. For example size, temperature, type of lighting, lighting intensity, insulation, etc. Is it in your house or in an external structure like a shed?

Limiting fertilizer may discourage growth, but I find some trees are going to try and grow whether I like it or not. My lemon tries to grow pretty much year round.

My experience is that there just isn't enough light indoors to support robust growth. Winter growth will either abort and drop off while still small, or will be pale undersized leaves that don't look healthy. I tried a mylar-lined grow chamber with a CFL bulb to supplement the time in front of a south facing slider but it wasn't any help. Maybe more bulbs, or a stronger bulb, would yield better results. But that isn't something I want to invest in.

I've been clipping off any winter growth once temps are warm enough to get the tree outside again. This year I may pinch off any attemps at new growth before they can even get started, hopefully this will save the trees from wasting energy reserves over the winter.

All my quality growth comes in June, July, and August.

Jodi, when you talk about citrus not growing under 55.4F you mean soil temperature and not air temperature right?

Like Bob I have a grow room not a greenhouse. Frankly, the Citrus (I am not in an ideal Citrus zone)are happier indoors and I believe its because their needs can be met on a controlled schedule. I water/liquid fertilize in a slop sink and spray at that time (now 7 days may change). No excess rain or sun or wind or disease blowing in the air/connected to insects. I get perfectly fine growth that hardens off and blooms. After I brought a lot (still got more out) in early, they are actually perking up. In the summer my time is split with my garden and grounds, its Citrus vacation really. Winter is an opportunity to baby them.

Bklyn, can you take some pics of that grow room. I'd be interested to see what it looks like. You must love it then when your citrus come in and give you something something to do. Believe this, I actually love them being indoors at times if I have the room and the right growing conditions. I wish I could row them all in my greeenhouse(

Amy, when the root zone drops below 55 degrees, my trees stop growing. It seems they still puch fruit and blooms though. But as for new leaf growth , a little but barely. Below 50, everything is on hold. I try to keep all mine on the porch below 50 so that even my figs will stay dormant along with poted perennials and cactus that must be dormant in order to flower. Below 50 is ideal for my trees. I get no leaf drop, no pests, no need for fertilizer, no need to watre often, and no need high electric bills, Ha

More to follow - under construction, I'm only about half in and my daughter borrowed my folding table, which I need in order to figure out the arrangement of the 4th table. But they are happy these batches are already putting out new flushes!!