i read this 3 times ...

soooo... basically nothing is wrong ... and you want to fix that???

try not to love it to death ...

i would suggest that you are watering too much .. butttt... there is nothing wrong.. so what do i know ... the proper type of media .. has negated what might be overwatering ... soooo.. you win ...

ken

It's impossible to tell you how frequently to water :-) There are just too many variables involved - planting media, size of container, how root bound the plant may be, weather, wind exposure, etc. You just want to be as consistent as possible in keeping the soil evenly moist. Not too wet but do not allow it to dry out either. With a small container in hot weather, every other day may not be too frequently at all! When the heat and dryness of summer hit here - and they haven't yet this season - I water my collection of containerized JM's every third day. And many of them are in very large (20G or more) containers. Smaller ones may require more frequent attention.

btw, if you are using a properly fast draining and durable planting mix, then it is almost impossible to overwater :-)

Thanks, guys. Yes, I wasn't asking how frequently to water without regard to anything other than a set schedule. I just wanted to be sure that not letting it dry out was the correct way to go. I've been keeping the soil pretty evenly moist and the bonsai soil is very forgiving - drains really well. And no saucer for the pot, so it's not sitting in water. Sounds like I'm on the right track - just wanted to make sure. Thank you for confirming! Cheers. :o)

KP: Just to re-iterate what gardengal said: In hot weather (as we are having now) combined with small pots and well draining mix, I would not hesitate to water everyday. Afternoon shade is also helpful in these circumstances. Hold back on fertilizing till temperature come back below 90.