I this is what I am getting from eBay for my soil, as well as a small bag of soil from him: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200735078524&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Thoughts are also welcome on that.

Maybe you could post a picture of the tree so we could see it before giving any advice.

Yes - terra cotta is suitable (actually superior to most conventional pot materials) for almost any plant if you're just growing on.

I can't offer any thoughts on the soil w/o knowing at least what it looks like. You WANT a soil that has impeccable drainage - one that retains no, or very little, perched water. If you don't know what perched water is, I suggest you look at the link I'll leave below.

Bonsai is often a test of will. Without a knowledge of how soil choice affects plants in shallow pots, here will be struggle. To minimize your frustration and ensure you are able to keep plants alive and thriving so they can withstand the work you need to do on them, the two things you need to have a good working knowledge of are how soils function and how plants work. The former is most important to the temporal, but the later in the long run is equally important to the o/a endeavor.

Best luck. Keep a close eye out for scale because the plant is susceptible. If you discover an infestation, come back and we'll help with a course of treatment.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a start if you're determined to succeed .....