TK,
takio wrote:thank you guys. I'm amazed. thanks, really.
Your welcome
takio wrote:ok, nothing like experienced input. I do indeed have a lot of research ahead. I was hoping to avoid a lot of mistakes and save the plant but I guess failure is really a part of the process.
I completely respect the 'wanting to avoid mistakes' approach, But get used to making them, It comes with the territory.

.
IMO, People who have never made a mistake with bonsai....Have never done anything with bonsai.
There is a learning curve like anything else and sometimes the mistakes=fatalities.
Know that going in you will live with the little mistakes for years...The BIG mistakes usually die on you fairly quickly....

. There is usually a lesson to gained from each though.
takio wrote:To begin with, I live in Oporto, in Portugal. No snow here, ever, but very cold windy winter and scorching in the summer (average temperature interval in summer is 25-35 degrees celcius, 10-20 in winter). I live quite close to the sea, for what it's worth. I live in an apartment which may make it difficult to keep the plant outside. Plus, I have a cat that loves to eat green... yeah, I know, but I'm not ditching the cat (9 yrs old, long time partner in crime), so we'll see how it goes. Trying to keep her off the bonsai with specific weeds, think it's working so far...
Oporto, Thanks.

The winter temps will be fine for this tree [Wind IS an issue though {More so than temps in many cases} The bonsai4me site has a great article on over-wintering trees.] You do have a scorching HOT summer though & due to that I might suggest morning sun only if possible. [Dappled shade afterwards]
Do you have a balcony, or window ledge that would suffice at all? Check B4M for an article on 'Dormancy' to see why this is an issue-And it IS an issue.
I am Anti-Cat...So I won't go there. [img]https://www.mysmilie.de/english/green/smilies/angels/img/017.gif[/img]
takio wrote:I didn't think the "Ilex" reference would be helpful because it would only yield results in english, and I would't be able to track down the reference to "azevinho". Also I thought mistletoe was a "bush", not a tree... ok, that's how far-off I am, better just admit it up-front.
No big deal at all tk, There are lots of ways to search for stuff is all- No problem.
Check the 'species guide' on B4M and you will find that many bonsai are technically shrubs [Just about anything that has a woody stem could potentially be bonsai...]
takio wrote:I've been digging around the forum, checking out bonsai4me, etc, and have learned much already - especially not to jump to action before I actually "know" (or have a faint idea of, more the case

) what I'm doing.
This is excellent to hear.
While nothing beats experience, It is important to have a knowledge base [research] to use as a platform to jump off of....So to speak...lol
takio wrote:The soil was indeed dry but I didn't water it intensely because I was afraid I'd do irreversible damage. Had no idea what to do. I'm establishing a morning-check routine and will try to act according to indications for this kind of soil, using a toothpick, 2-3 stage watering, etc. Maybe it "needs" submersion but it might be like eating a buffalo after fasting... going for a gradual approach.
I understand your logic here but what we are trying to do [via the submersion] is get the needle back to the center [Is it ... In the dehydrated zone?]. The goal each and every time you water is a complete saturation of the soil. Little sips are ineffective.
If it is bone dry [The soil] giving it a 10 minute soak will insure that all of the soil [& roots within] that have been parched recently do indeed get a drink.
Then you go back to thorough top watering as it needs it [Maintenance - Not on a schedule, But as required.]
takio wrote:
Repotting and/or new soil wil wait till I'm more sure what is necessary. The soil is very dense and the roots seem to be quite long and tangled - is this a bad thing? Should I remove the soil to check the roots?
Good call, Knowledge is power. {I just posted this next sentence in another thread but it applies here also..} IMO the time you take to research this is worth the long term gain as opposed to rushing into making changes that only marginally benefit your tree. The dense soil is NOT good as you will discover in your research, The roots have not colonized all the soil in the pot so I would not say that it is rootbound-Just in terrible soil. No, I would leave it until you change the soil but you may have to ride it out as it is pretty late [seasonally] for a repot.
takio wrote:The tree appears to have had a period of neglect prior to sale: the top branches are not as "designed" as the lower section, growth is more chaotic.
This is possible, But as you come to understand more about how bonsai are 'designed' you will see that this very concept is in fact a very very large part of the process [I cannot speak as to if that is what's happening in this case.]
Check out the trees [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3343]here.[/url] [There are tons of them, But if you find the links that are about 'Before & Afters' or 'Case Histories' {page three} you will see what I mean quickly.]
Take note that they were photographed at moments when they looked as ideal as possible.
They do not live their lives this way, Nor were they developed this way.
They were grown out and cut back- Repeatedly. You may not know what I mean now, As your understanding of bonsai grows you will see what I mean.
To paraphrase a saying: "Little bonsai do not grow up to be big bonsai, Big trees & shrubs are cut back and grown out to be little bonsai."
My neglect has aggravated this, I suppose. I've had the plant for a week now,
A week is a blink of an eye in bonsai:!: That's not nearly enough time for you to take the blame for it's current state
and have only watered it a few times, never really soaking the soil.
Well, No more of that then right?
Have pruned it just a bit, removed a couple of dry twigs and dead leaves, nothing more. Think it's safe to remove more twigs, or even recommended? or, by the look of it, should I leave it alone for now and just focus on keeping it alive?
Removing the dead won't hurt it, But I would just let it recover and when it is healthy you can better determine what stays and what goes.

I'm thinking of keeping it outside for the day and indoors for the night, to avoid a wide temperature range and give it some fresh air - think I should give it direct sunlight, outdoors? gets quite harsh around here, if it's really sunny.
What is the range of temps? I don't have this species but I would be cautious with your killer sunlight.
Remember Bonsai
are trees &
trees live outside, There is no need to baby them.
[Due to container culture some require a bit of winter protection.. But they are still trees.]
takio wrote:So much to ask... you've been quite helpful already. Oh, and no offense taken on the "label in your face" issue

I just wish I could assign more time to this, I have other googling needs.
Glad to be useful

, I really did intend for some more emoticons to be in my initial reply...{I get in a hurry...

} I am glad you took it in the spirit it was meant

. I know what you mean about google priorities

.
Bonsai really don't take all that much time for the most part, Especially if you don't have many. Check them daily and off you go

.
takio wrote:I also have no idea where the plant came from, how it was grown and cared for, so... ground zero here.
I'm totally against giving pets as presents, except when you know people really want them, so I REALLY don't want to just neglet this little fellow. It would be a crime, if it really is 8 yrs old... besides, bonsai is so totally cool hehe
I TOTALLY agree about pets as gifts. We will try to get you on solid bonsai ground, No worries.
Hope this helps some,
ynot
EDIT: I see Gnome linked you to Evergreen Gardenworks - Another excellent resource.