Deacon Jim

Jay,

Three years ago I moved from direct sunlight all day on a hot deck to a wooded property where the trees only received several hours of direct sunlight. On the deck I built frames with shade cloth for the deciduous trees and never worried about watering. That is, I watered twice a day during the peak of summer. I've spent three summers clearing trees to build flower and conifer gardens and get more light to the bonsai.

Trees that did Great with minimal direct light:
Korean Hornbeam, Amur Maple, Corkbark Elm

Trees that suffered:
Junipers and conifers.
I lost a few before I gained better control of my watering habits (poking the soil, lifting the pots to check the weight, etc., before watering.) They still aren't thriving like on the deck in the direct sun. I tried using more akadama but it seemed to break down quickly then stays to wet. This year I used more grit.

Next summer I will clear the last of the area where the bonsai will finally have a home with lots of sun.

My experience: It was easier to deal with 12 hours of direct sun and shelter the trees than it was to handle minimal sun for the junipers and conifers.

Hope this somehow helps,
Deacon Jim