I was given a common myrtle bush in a pot about a year ago. It seems to be flourishing, but has not flowered. I put bubble wrap around its base last winter and kept it outside on the steps. Myrtle (Myrtus communis), hails from hot Mediterranean hillsides and woodlands, where it survives droughts and toughs it out over exposed windy winters – or at least that’s my experience of the wild myrtle I’ve seen in Ischia, Naples.
Like all Mediterranean types, it’s the wet and cold together, particularly around the feet, that are the problem. Cold clay soils are not going to work with this plant. Protecting your pot with bubble wrap is the thing to do, and the more sheltered in winter, the happier the plant will be. The leaves will get burned by frosts, too, so keeping it tucked beside the house makes sense.
The myrtle I’ve seen survives cold winters because the plant has long hot summers to ripen its wood, helping it flower and form berries. Part of the reason yours hasn’t flowered yet may be age and cool summers. In the growing season, apply a feed high in potassium and phosphorus to promote flowering, such as EcoCharlie’s Organic Pots & Hanging Basket feed.
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