"soil"... so confused...

[Neli]

That for sure is leaf buds...mine at the moment are full of flower buds,,,I Just keep removing them every week. Flower buds normally appear at the tip of branches, in between the leafs.

[Scooter_M]

Cool, well its the first movement I've had since I tried to dave it .. what. 2 months back now? So its good to see that its on the way up!

[gordonb]

sorry to "hijack" but i was wondering for the aggregrate/inorganic component im using some small 'pebbles' i bought in a bag from bunnings, where the label says "suitable for bonsai, aquariums, decoration". they are sized somewhere between 5-7mm. is this ok to mix in with some good potting soil? Ive read here and elsewhere about people using crushed granite, dolomite, and a bunch of other types of rocks and stuff, but im assuming this stuff should be good enough to open up the soil.

You can mix 'pebbles' with sharp gravel - the round and the jagged combined work as well as gravel by itself, in my experience.
Also, zeolite can be used as a 'sharp gravel' - also can act as a moisture retention in a complex soil mix. (I know our [NZ] zeolite is different from yours, tends to be orangey rather than just white in colour after a while - but mine often looks green due to moss on the surface.)