Here is a one-month update on this cutting. It seems well, but I have some questions and I could use your sage advice:
1) It has been poured on several times, and a lot of the soil it came packed in washed away. This exposed some of the roots, so I covered the whole thing in a layer of loose bonsai soil.
2) When I water this tree, it ends up bone dry by the end of the day. It gets *direct* sunlight. It's set up just to the north of my front door (there is nowhere to the south of my house where I can put it), and it gets sunlight all day, probably 12 hours a day. Should I provide it any shade? It will get into the high 90s in the next month or two.

Thank you for any and all advice! I'd really like to make this little plant into a tree.
-J
3)

justiniadonisi wrote: 2) When I water this tree, it ends up bone dry by the end of the day. It gets *direct* sunlight. It's set up just to the north of my front door (there is nowhere to the south of my house where I can put it), and it gets sunlight all day, probably 12 hours a day.

Seems to be doing well. Well done.

Would be good if you can give it some shade during the hottest times of the day - especially if it's going to get warmer.

Seems a bit yellowish; could be the species but also a lack of nutrients, or a picture with the wb wrong,... Have you fertilised it already?
( and you should really take away these pebbles, they do nothing for your tree...)

I have not fertilized it, and I agree that it looks a little yellow. It just started doing that the other day.
I noticed that when I added the layer of top soil (its loosely packed bonsai soil), the soil that the tree is actually planted in stays wetter for longer. Without the bonsai soil, the other soil dries completely out within the day.

So: add fertilizer, remove bonsai soil, get it out of direct sun when it starts to really heat up? Thank you guys for your advice!
-J

justiniadonisi wrote: I noticed that when I added the layer of top soil (its loosely packed bonsai soil), the soil that the tree is actually planted in stays wetter for longer. Without the bonsai soil, the other soil dries completely out within the day.

Well, that means you have to repot it with bonsai soil all the way through.

I remember being explicitly told not to repot just yet. Should I go ahead and repot? The soil its in is more like dirt, and it dries completely out and becomes dense in one day's time (again, with about 14 hours of exposure to direct sunlight).

No, I haven't said "repot it now".
I have said you should repot it with good bonsai soil.
At the right time to repot the species you have.
But...
IF it is not draining well enough, so an emergency repot could be necessary.

How can you tell if its an emergency? The tree is still alive, though it has begun to turn slightly yellow in spots. I looked into this, and the results are a dime a dozen: it could be over or under watered, it could be getting too much or too little fertilizer, it could be getting too much or not enough sun....gah!
Thank you, guys.
-J

Well, conifers don't like to be wet all the time, but...
14 hours a day of sun and with summer coming in a few weeks, could be dangerous if it gets too dry for too long.
If the soil is well draining (bonsai soil), then you should water it twice a day in the summer, once in the morning and again around 5 o'clock.
You have to decide if it can wait for next spring to be repotted.

Ill wait, and just keep a close eye on it. I will also add some fertilizer and remove the stones. What do yall recommend for fertilizer? I've got those little green ball things, and some Miracle Gro 'liquid food."
I will post another update soon. Thanks again, everyone!
-J