Tropfrog wrote:

Noctiluca wrote: Thank you for your input. As stated earlier, I have been watering my bonsai until water was dripping from the drainage hole. To be safe, I will be showering my bonsai from now on, if they make it back from Styx.

Shower all the surface of the soil. Dripping out of the drainage holes is not enough, it should be a steady stream that continues quite a while after you stopped watering.

It looks like it is in pretty organic soil.. and not a modern substrate... watering depends some on that...

what kind of soil is the tree in?

I wouldnt know as the soil came with the bonsai !

Looks like fully organic soil to me. Proboably Coco husk and sphagnum moss

But......The tree has been produced in this soil and obviously thrived and growed well in it. Do not focus too much on type of soil, just adjust your watering to the soil. If you get the tree back to vigour you can change the soil in early spring.

Thank you, I shall keep the soil as is. I am only worried about it when I shower the bonsai and a bit of soil drains everytime. Anything you would suggest to combat that?

The buds are already twice their size today which I am thrilled to observe!

You do not need to shower the tree. I myself have a watering can made for bonsai, which has a very fine spray, exactly to not wash out the soil. But I have 150+ trees. For one tree that is a bit of an overkill.

Just when you water make sure you water the whole pot, and not just a corner or something. You should ensure you water enough to get the whole rootball water (So water starts dripping from the pot at the bottom). Then you do not water again untill the top of the substrate starts to dry out. The substrate this is in dries out very evenly and once it starts going dry, it can dry out throughout the pot fast.

Make sure you check every day whether it needs water and keep in mind that a happy growing tree needs more water than one that is "pauzed". On a sunny day, a tree uses a lot more water than in grey days. Over time you will get a feel for when it needs water.

I just can't believe my eyes! Didn't expect it to recover so fast.

what is the weather like where you are? This might be a good moment to put it in a dappled shade spot outside.

We are having a warm end of summer with sunny 20-22°. I could only put the bonsai on the ledge out of my window, which will give it the same conditions as its current spot, which is bright direct light.

Noctiluca wrote: We are having a warm end of summer with sunny 20-22°. I could only put the bonsai on the ledge out of my window, which will give it the same conditions as its current spot, which is bright direct light.

Inside it will never have the same conditions as outside.