Ok, first of all, the zone doesn't matter if you keep it indoors, and yes it should be inside where you live. Second, a finger isn't terrible, but not half as good as leaving a plain chopstick in the soil all the time (for a time anyhow) and pulling it out like a dipstick every day to touch your inner wrist to see if it's wet all over, damp halfway down, etc. and if it's dry ~ halfway down, that's when you water til it comes out the drain hole (always water this way, slowly, so all the roots do get some, and not in little bits every day which just gets the top layer wet). Your tree may be staying too wet all the time because the soil's bad (a lot of 'cheap' bonsai come in potting soil, full of peat and holding water too long), so you may need to repot, with no layers, but a mix of 1/3 soil with larger particles (a garden centre's the place to look) and 2/3 grit - there are many kinds you can use, from small aquarium gravel (the glassy looking stuff) to akadama - an expensive product only available online from bonsai places, unless you have a dedicated bonsai store nearby (NOT a big box store that happens to sell lots of little 'bonsai' but no good supplies). If you're in a rural area, a farm feed store would have chicken grit, which is very good, as would be crushed lava or pumice. Olives are Meditarranean, from dry, hot places with very gritty 'soil' - not black garden stuff that's good for flowers or veggies. Lighting is also important, and if you can at least afford a 'full spectrum' fluorescent (there are newer ones that will say so) kept no more than 6 inches away from the tree for 15 hours a day your tree will appreciate it! Otherwise (if you more money) I'd recommend a 4' long fluor. fixture and a "T5" full spectrum bulb or two, but do your best for now. Don't be intimidated by watering - just remember, olives will die sooner if most of the soil stays wet all the time than if it dries out a bit too much once in a while.

Thank you! the chopstick idea... pure GENIUS!

Ha ha... I'd love to take credit, but it's an old bonsai trick!

Here is an even eisier way to repot and tell when it needs watering.

Go to your local Ace Hardware, home Depot, etc and purchase the - i forget what its called now (of course) - stuff they sell for cleaning up spilled oil in your driveway. It looks kinda like clay pellets or cat litter.

Its good because it absorbs liquids, but it doesnot compact and so no standing water remains, it all drains out.

Andhte best part? It changes color when it is damp - it gets darker.

While it will break down more quickly then a clay bonsai soil, it still last a good year or two.

Good Luck.

Oh, as for bulbs, any bulb is beter than none if you are not getting good light - hardware stores sell compact flourescent bulbs for betwen $5-$10 for a 30-50 watt bulb (the stronger the btter). This is not the equivalency rating, but the actual wattage of the bulb -will be equal to about a 150 watt incandescent. The higher the wattage the better as it will let of more Lumins (a measure of light: a 50 Watt CFL should let off around 3000-4000 lumins). As flourescents dont get hot, place the bulbs about 4 iches from the plant.

Just an F.Y.I. about the brightness of CFL Lights. I am primarily an orchid grower & have used these guys to help boost light levels when we have several consecutive days of crappy weather. I have learned from my light meter that light 6-8 inches away from the light drops by nearly half. If you are growing a tree with super high light needs, perhaps a multiple light fixture will be best for you. Also, look at some of the exterior Flood light fixtures that use 150 watt CFLs. They are readily available at any Home Depot, Lowes or other large hardware store. They also generally give light temp. of 6500K. Check out the orchid forums if you want to learn more about CFL grow lights.

-Ray-

Hi there, just one more little note about your bonsai issue that was not addressed.... acclimation to its new surroundings. Trees don't like to be moved around and there natural response is to drop leaves and look a little sickly for a while until they get used to the new digs. Also just the shipping experience can cause some to get a little shocked. Once they become accustomed to their new home, they normally straighten out and get their health back. Hope you have great luck with your new bonsai.