Hi there,

I got a free Inaba Shidare maple. It was pretty bare with wet soil, but it had new growth on both sides of the graph. (So the Inaba Shidare side and the root stock side.) I live in Ottawa and we have a pretty cold winter, and these maples are tender here.

So, with the new growth and harsh winter, the fact it's tiny (about a foot tall) and I'm moving and want to take it with me, so I potted in a new pot with new soil* and put it in the house. I snipped the root side leaves off.

And then all leaves dried up and fell off. And the stem is quite withered looking, like it has wrinkles. Have watered it, but still a bit wrinkly.

What did I do wrong and how can I correct this? I have a summersweet, flowering almond and a buddleja overwintering in the garage. Should my Inaba cozy in with them?

Thanks in advance!

* New soil was homemade - sifted sheep compost, koir (peat substitute), perlite, sprinkle of greensand and a pinch of Mykes (mycorhizae).

* My house is stupidly dry. I need to use eye *gel* in the winter to keep my eyes moist. We do have a home humidifier and it's set at 45, not sure how accurate it is...