Here is another picture. The bottom half of the tree is pretty much without leaves.

its basically fall ...

that is what a lot of fruit trees... especially new transplants .. look like.. in fall ...

water deeply.. PROPERLY... and maintain the mulch ...

life is all in those buds at the branch tips...

you should not have fertilized at planting.. and i suggest you never fert it again ... especially if your lawn is fertilized ....

prophylactic spraying of fruit trees... can be answered in the fruit forum... but that will start in spring.. not a month before the leaves fall off...

planting guide at the link.. in case you ever plant more trees.. and also a primer on PROPER watering.. and PROPER mulching....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Good answer Ken. You purchased and planted the tree in the most intense months of the year. It had suffered the indignities of shipping, and sitting in a retail sales lot of a box store. (not the most gentle thing on a tree). It basically does not look at this point much different than I'd expect it to look and I raise my own peach trees. Do the mulch/water thing like Ken said, and you may want to put some sort of rodent/rabbit guard around its young trunk because this is the age of tree most susceptible to damage from them. Next spring you'll be in a much better position when it starts to leaf out again to evaluate it. Patience.

Thank you for the responses, I definitely appreciate the help. We've gotten quite a bit of rain fall where I live so it hasn't gone without water. When I saw the shape of the leaves and how they were coming off not long after I planted it I got a bit fearful that it had gotten some disease and was dying. I'll try to be a bit more patient. Again thank you for the help.

And keep in mind that despite the name, this tree is not native to Georgia at all ....

Thank you for the responses, I definitely appreciate the help. We've gotten quite a bit of rain fall where I live so it hasn't gone without water. When I saw the shape of the leaves and how they were coming off not long after I planted it I got a bit fearful that it had gotten some disease and was dying. I'll try to be a bit more patient. Again thank you for the help.

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like there's a lot of insect damage to the leaves. Naturally the tree's going to look bad when it's half-eaten (figuratively speaking).

Richard.

A couple of my oaks are looking like this . The catipillars are out. I will dust with bt , but the damage is done to the leaves. My buds on the trees look fine, and your buds should still be fine for next year. I have an Elberta peach tree. It is loaded with fruit but they never get sweet and fleshy. The fruit ends up going to our neighbors friend who makes wine with some of them.I woud remove it but it's my dad's tree. Along with his apples that I don't spray so if yoyu want to eat them you cut off the bug holes Etc.