I planted a dwarf Reliance last fall and it appears I either screwed the poor thing or it just died. It's got nothing so far; no leaves, nothing green.

I was browsing Lowe's today and they have a lot of dwarf Elberta's. They're much bigger than the one I bought from Stark Bros last year; they're 5' to 6' high and already leafed out. The price is nice and I'm considering trying one.

1. Are Elberta's cold hardy enough for Chicago winters? One of the reasons I originally bought Reliance was it's cold hardiness.

2. I've read a recommendation for mixing coconut fiber into the fill when planting a peach tree. Has anyone ever done this? I hadn't noticed coconut fiber mulch before this year, but now I see it at several stores.