Victoria Plum tree

Firstly Amy, are you sure it just died? It may just have gone into a delayed transplant shock and will come back in spring. Scratch a little sliver of bark off a twig. If the wood immediately under the bark is green then it isn't dead, merely sleeping. I have a few fruit trees and last March (too late in the season really) bought a Victoria for a fiver and planted it. I thought it was dead and suddenly in July it kicked in with a full flush of leaves. Too late for blossom and fruit of course but I would put your new tree somewhere different and leave the last year's one to see what happens in spring. If it is certainly dead, I would also put the new one somewhere totally different in case the soil is contaminated.

John.

Amy, you say in your profile that a plum like tree died in your garden.
Have spores been affecting the area?.
Your new plum set fruit on one branch only, to me it was only growing on one part of itself.
I would not plant a new plum in the same place.

Sorry John it,s to late to wait and see , my husband took it out as it,s twigs snapped clean and appeared very dead , I,m pleased for you that yours survived though , yes we will put the new one when we get it somewhere different and try again , thank you for answering !

Doctorbob , we hadn,t thought along the lines of a spore infection , yes we did have a wild plum in the hedgerow that had died also a walnut tree , other trees and shrubs seem to be alright .
What can we do ? I think we will plant the new one in a different place and try again just to see what the outcome is .
Thanks for your help !

You have to be harsh with new fruit trees and pick off any fruitlets for the first year. The plant needs its strength to grow good roots first, then you can have fruit.

I will remember that Volunteer , I will hate doing it after waiting for so long :o(

You can leave just a few young fruits on Amy just to taste test it. Just don't let it crop heavily.

John.

Oh thanks John , at least I will have a taste , tomorrow is the day when we will go to fetch our new tree , our neighbour wants one as well so we will need to take the trailer :o)