The first thing you should do is research to be sure that your plant is indeed an indoor plant. Many websites and eBay sellers sell trees with the tag line that it is an indoor tree when in fact it is not. A perfect example of this is the juniper. A juniper is an everyday garden (nursery) plant that is meant to be outdoors. This particular plant needs to be over-wintered and is in fact, truly not an indoor plant. You may be able to keep this plant indoors for short periods, but it will grow best... outdoors. If you bought a juniper and it died, do not fret since you can purchase another one almost anywhere for about $4.00 and put it in the pot your original juniper came in. Junipers are evergreens and your plant may have already died before you received it, it just had not turned completely brown yet.
TRUE INDOOR BONSAI CARE: Many tropical and sub-tropical plants are a year round pleasure indoors and require minimal care. There are still some basics that must be followed.
Watering - A little patience and understanding and you will come up with a routine for watering your particular plant. Remember that a large portion of figuring this out will depend on what soil your plant is potted in and the size of the pot. In nature a tree can search the ground for water, however in a pot they are limited. You cannot neglect watering. Dry air and lack of humidity in a home can increase its need for watering. Alternately, given good humidity can decrease slightly the amount of watering necessary. The best thing you can do is invest a few dollars in a water meter. Next best thing is to pot your tree in a soil that tells you when it needs water, such as Akadama which changes color as it dries out. If nothing else, do a finger test ( stick a finger into the soil at least 1/2 way into the soil to feel for dryness). If the soil feels dry 1/4 - 1/2 the way down into the pot, you should water it. You can even try an old trick of sticking in a wooden chop stick and pulling it out to see if the wood soaked up any moisture. Over watering can be just as bad as under watering, so only water when the plant is dry. Never set your bonsai pot in water, the soil will not dry out and the roots will rot and your plant will surely die. A humidity tray will keep your bonsai up out of the water, perched appropriately above the water. Even tropicals need to have their soil dry out some before watering again. Don't ignore the watering, but don't drown your bonsai either.
Lighting - Lighting is extremely important. Insufficient sunlight will result in weak foliage and eventually a sickly plant that will not survive. Most indoor bonsai prefer a temperature of about 72 degrees F. You should place them near a bright sunny window or use fluorescent lights or grow lights. Through out the warmer months these should also be given out-door vacations when possible. Fresh air is necessary for the plant to produce its own plant food. Be sure to acclimate your trees to any new surroundings, which means don't take your indoor plant and place it directly in the sunlight. You should acclimate the tree slowly, an hour the first day, 2 hours the second day, 3 the third day and so on. An abrupt change can cause your plant to go into shock and unprotected summer sun can burn tender leaves. Give your indoor plants as much fresh air as possible. Don't place your bonsai too close to a window where the sunlight is magnified through the glass and can burn leaves and branches.
Fertilizing - If your indoor plant does not need a dormancy period you should fertilize year round. You should lower the strength or lengthen the time in between fertilizing through fall and winter. Even though indoor bonsai may not go dormant, they will still need a "rest" period. This will help them to build up strength for the next year. Use a balanced fertilizer such as BonsaiPro weekly during the growing season and a slow release type 2-10-10 over the winter as directed.
Pruning - Pruning is just as important to an indoor bonsai as one that grows outdoors. This is the means by which we keep the plants to miniature size. Without trimming, a bonsai will quickly lose its shape and will lose the illusion of a miniature tree. Pruning will also refine branch structure and also thickens the trunk and forces branch growth where nature may not have if left unkept. Trimming of new growth should be done all year long.
Pest control - Even indoor bonsai can be attacked. You should keep a watchful eye out for pests. Ants can bring in aphids and deposit them on your indoor plants to farm. Bringing in new indoor plants which are harboring pests can allow them to travel to your bonsai. Keep checking your plants for any signs of pests and take care of them immediately if you see any. Check your plants well if you take them outside for fresh air and sunlight before you bring them back inside. Most pest can be removed easily and a quick spraying of water with a drop of dish liquid will be a worthwhile time investment.
See more care info at http://www.mybonsaibuddy.com
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