Sonarctica, It doesn't look like anyone has directly addressed your question. I also live in SW PA and have had absolutely no luck finding "bonsai soil" locally. The Pittsburgh Bonsai Society used to sell it but their web page has been out of date for quite some time now. Rather than suffer the shipping expense of buying it on line, I have taken to making my own using things available at the big box and local hardware stores. I found a product called Soil Perfecter which is an excellent black GRIT about 1/2 the size of a pencil eraser. I pay about $8 for 40 lbs. I use Shultz Aquatic Soil (a high-fired CLAY) as my base. As an ORGANIC component, I use orchid bark. My basic mix is 60% aquatic soil, 20% grit and 20% bark. I'll adjust the composition somewhat per species. So far so good.

When soil suddenly stops absorbing water, it generally is a bad sign - i.e. the plant's not taking up water any more, and may be dead. You'll have to figure out what the problem is/was, whether overwatering (roots rotting, etc.), or a bad soil mix clogging root hair pores, not enough light, etc. Continuing to spray leaves (which does nothing but encourage mildew, rather than help humidification) on a sick or dead plant is pointless. I wish you'd said what kind of tree you have, it matters. Your tree could be one that should have been living outdoors all along and finally gave up in disgust :-), or ??? If you scratch the bark firmly halfway up the trunk and see green underneath, it's still alive, but if not...

I mist, so shoot me. I have to because if I didn't my plants would be crispy. humidity trays just attract algae and stagnant water, unless it's changed daily, then you may as well be misting anyway. I do use a hose attached mister though since my plants are out in the shade, I can just turn on the mister during the heat of the day and the temp drops about 20* around my plants. As long as they are in well draining soil without peat, I don't have fungus gnats. My shade house resident frog helps with any other bugs on my plants. The trick is not to use anything with peat in it or else you will get gnats no matter how hard you try to get rid of them. That means washing roots and repotting as soon as a plant comes home with me. Gabi, I use VF-11 as a foliar feed only, and her claims that foliar works better are correct, I just put a capful in a 32 oz bottle and spray away. I've seen more growth from just the foliar spray than watering with VF-11, especially on my hoyas and epiphyllums. I'd recommend it to anyone who can get a hold of it. Charley's Greenhouse sells it also, but I'm lucky it goes on sale about twice a month for about $4 at a local pharmacy, I stock up on it whenever it's on sale. Once I got a half gallon for $4!

One thing that helps develop flavor in the fruit is what NOT to do -- overwater! Especially when fruits are formed and beginning to ripen...too much water dilutes whatever natural flavors they might have. I've never tried true dry farming tomatoes as I live in the midwest and we usually get lots of rain but I hear it will increase flavor but diminish yield... Ever noticed how drying tomatoes or making juice by reducing the moisture intensifies and improves the flavor of even the most mediocre tomatoes? Here is a link that might be useful: Dry farming tomatoes