Nothing will kill a bonsai faster than improper watering, and the most frequent culprit is poor drainage. To properly water a bonsai, wait until its soil is dry to the touch. Then put the entire tree and pot into a shallow dish, and water the whole thing from overhead---foliage, pebbles, and trunk. Let the excess water drain into the dish, and then remove the pot and prop it on a discard tuna can at an angle (figure A). That way, the extra water can drain completely.
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