Hi, it's not clear to me where your tree is growing - indoors or out, and that's going to matter a lot as to what happens next. As well, can you please post a picture somewhere (leaving a note here) so we can see the tree, which would be a big help, especially if you can get a good shot or two of a relative close-up of the leaves. You didn't say where you got the tree, but if it was your backyard (or equivalent) you may be growing e.g. a Norway or sugar maple, neither of which are much good for bonsai at all. Thirdly, the best time to work on maples is the winter, when they're dormant (if outdoors where they belong), usually in Feb. before they bud out and before sap flows. Early and mid summer are bad times, so what you might have to do if the pot's too small is get a size larger pot and 'slip pot' - get the whole thing out of its present pot in as much of one piece as possible, disturbing roots as little as possible, and just slip it into the larger one, backfilling with a gritty mix where needed. That would be temporary, but at least deal with the scrunch.

Unless it's a buxus harlandii, you'll not be doing it any favors and it won't do you any back. The harlandii can be kept by knowledgable people indoors (as they do in Japan) but most others have to be outside and go dormant to grow in future.

haha, yeah it's possible that it could be a dud. It was growing so well when I first got it. I cut it down A LOT though. I think maybe by half, but I balanced the root pruning appropriately as well. The tree started new growths at first which was promising, growing out to new leaves, but then it hit on the brakes and just STOPPED growing. I think this was after the second repot, because I wanted to expose part of the tap root for decoration sake. (Is it bad to expose the tap root?) Anyway, the feeder roots are in the soil (or pruned). Even if new growths arise, they stay the bud size. (I'd say 2-3 mm, as a cluster of 5-6 leaves - beacuse that's how the powderpuffs grow.) It's just so confusing....I don't understand. To narrow things down, what about the following: Will an exposed taproot cause dormancy? Will overfertilization of plant cause dormancy? Will out of range pH cause dormancy? Will too much light cause dormancy? (hah I don't really think that's the case) I don't know.....but for now I've stopped fertilizing, started watering the exposed tap root as well, which narrows down the questions above to light (which would be silly)... I guess we'll see in a week or so if things get better?? It only has like 20 or less leaves on it now. :( Anyway, maybe I'm going around in circles, but I was hoping if I added more details, might ring a bell in someone's head. It's got a reall pretty branch structure (like wings almost) and I don't want it to die!

What color are the cyathia of E. californica and E. misera? I bought one labeled as misera at the San Gabriel Valley sale a few weeks ago. It just bloomed with yellow cyathia, but from what I've read, misera is supposed to be white. Can these be variable? Also, it appears to be in a pure gravel (not pumice) mixture that has probably compacted. It drains *very* slowly. I am going to take the pure pumice (and synthetic fertilizer) plunge with whatever plants I can, and am wondering if this would be a good candidate, or if it needs something that holds even less water than pumice. I know this plant comes from coastal cliffs, so it doesn't need much in the way of organics... Caudex: I think the composition needs that branch to stay balanced, unless you go for a more drastic windswept or cascade look. Its just too bad that branch isn't coming off the central stem!