I have lessened the top dressing, I had a bit too much sand on top. The neem oil has totally gotten rid of the gnats... so I'll be using it maybe monthly? : ) Thank you for telling me--I'll be more conservative on the neem!!

The trunk is completely firm. That's just the way her bark is, or the shadows from the camera. She has a lot of green on her trunk, too. And thank you so much!!! I have put sssoooo much love into her... I just wish there was a way to check her roots!

Good luck, and send updates!

ez

You really should not need to put that sand on top of the soil for preventing fungus gnats. I can see doing that purely for aesthetics. That fungus gnat and the root rot problems go together. And the reason is simple - the soil holds too much water creating the ideal conditions for both the problems. You should look into putting it in a well draining soil next summer. The container forum has some nice threads addressing the "water retention" problem. There are lots of posts on this topic and a lot to mull over this winter.

Let the plant recover for now. Ficus are quite robust plants. Yours look like in good shape too. A few lost leaves here and there is just temporary stress response. It will naturally slow down for the winter but should pick up in late spring or so. Keep in very bright light if possible. Good airflow helps a lot in preventing pests and diseases.

Slow down on the watering since (I suspect) your soil is holding way too much water. Roots need both water and air. A plant that is not growing cannot consume the water in the soil as quickly. And any soil that has a tendency to hold on to the water also has tendency to eliminate any air spaces. Perfect conditions for root rot and fungus gnats.

Wait till the top 2-3 inches of the soil is dry. You can stick a skewer in the soil to sort of measure the moisture. Search for that info in the container forum if you are not sure what I am talking about. Then when you water it drench it completely and let the water flow out of the bottom. Tilt the pot at 45 degrees or so to let more of the water out of the bottom. This will ensure that more air is available to the roots.

Just having paper towels below the pot does not ensure complete removal of excess water in the pot. All it does is absorb the water that "exited'" the pot on its own. Again to gain more knowledge about perched water in soil and getting rid of it just search the container forum. I am just too lazy at this point to find the links.

I do admit that I chose an all-peat mix mistakenly... I didn't mix it with perlite or mulch. =/
If I don't put a paper towel underneath the pot on the saucer, no water comes down. Whereas if I put a snipet of a diaper or paper towels--the next morning it'll be moist/damp as if the water had shifted onto it (and this will be days after watering!). I like to believe this is drawing excess water to the paper pads. : )

I will stop watering her so much. I won't water her until next week! She is under a bright grow light, and I'll remember to keep her there! The neem oil has gotten rid of the fungus gnats, and the sand ontop has prevented them from getting to the soil. Together, and with watering less--the gnats are gone.

Thank you so much for the soil flush information. I will look for those links! : )
And I will wait until next summer to repot her. And I will choose a better soil and pot then. ^^;;;

I would consider at this point tipping the pot while holding the plant in place to get rid of the sand layer, then replace with soil. Otherwise, as fine as it appears, it will be working its way down into the air pockets over time.

ez

Sounds like that paper towel has very good contact with the soil through the bottom drain holes. But do try tipping the container to let the excess water drain out. You will be surprised how much comes out. You can also employ a wick. All the info you can get in the container forum thread. Winter home work for you :)

I will most certainly do that when I water her next!!! Ahhh thank you so much everyone! I'm beaming with pride. My little bonsai is going to be okay. <333

I actually found out on the 25th, that the reason her leaves were dropping was because of root rot. I was cleaning dirty off her trunk with a q-tip, and when I bumped her a little, she wasn't rooted in the soil at all. So I lifted her up just a tad--and sure enough, she had root rot going up her trunk... no wonder. : (

I'm still trying because I love her. So I repotted her in miracle grow african violet potting mix WITH mulch and perlite, for good drainage. I made the soil lightly wet, and now she's under a lamp (indirectly) for the next couple of days. : (

See if we can't beat this.

A picture would have been helpful to see the extent of the rot. The rotted areas need to be eliminated completely and cleaned. Ficus can take a lot of abuse. Then treat it like a cutting. Moist, well drained soil with a means to keep it humid is ideal. An empty large plastic coke bottle with the bottom cut off works as a good humidity dome for small plants. If you are going to use a bottle wash it with diluted bleach first and keep the cap off. Take the bottle off every day for a bit to air it out.

The plant may need to be anchored to the soil so that it does not move when it is putting out new roots. Reduce the leaves to may be 3-4. Put it under CFL light. Not incandescents - they produce more heat than light.

I didn't think to get a picture because I was so fretting about when I realized what was happening. =/ I have the moist, well draining soil--and I'm looking to get a little humidity dome to get heat. I did pluck the bad leaves off, so she's good on that. And I do have a CFL light! : ) She is still green and not wilting.
Thank you for saying ficus can take a lot of abuse. I was generously cutting off the rot and I soaked her in hydrogen peroxide for about an hour before replanting. I believe I did get all of it.

OK. Just hold back on the watering and just keep the soil damp. My favourite dome is this one. A bit expensive. It fits on a 5 gallon bucket too so I can use for taller plants too. It has an adjustable vent on top.

That's awesome! I'm going to look for slightly cheaper ones. It's been days since I pruned the rot and replanted her--she looks very good. When would I be able to see if she makes it or not..? A week or so should tell?

If it does not wilt you are doing good. At least two weeks before you see any improvement - like new buds pushing. May be another week or two if the root prune is severe. Just hang on it will work.

Edited for mistakes.

I can't think of a worse component to use as soil in a small pot with a tree than peat.

Bonsai soil looks like a bag of gravel with a little bark mulch drug through it.

Larger leaves are an indication of low-light levels.

Coppice, You are right but this tree needs some rest after several repots now.

I mixed in mulch and rocks, so there's little peat. : ) It drains incredibly well! Before, when I was super new at plants.. I literally just packed them with miracle grow soil and nothing else ^^;; I know better now.
It's been five days and two of her leaves were beginning to yellow--the process has now halted and they're getting green again!

This is the soil thread you want, especially if you're interested in bonsai.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii?n=317

Rob