Do you think that it's dying because it needs fertilized?

Yes, I have read that you don't want to fertilize heavily after spring for fear of new growth going into winter. I have never had to worry about it.

However if you really want to do something I would think that you could use Miracle Grow soluble fertilizer.

Mulch the crap out of it to at least 4 feet out from the trunk with a least 4" deep in wood chips. Keep the chips 2"-12" away from the trunk itself. If it is failing it isn't because of fertilizer its first year.

Feed it with diluted urine on a weekly basis, and it's not

too late to start now. That's all I feed my new trees. I give

each tree a gallon per week.

Thanks, everyone! Yeah, I know it needs to be fed. I will get some mulch for it, and fertilize it, as well. Never heard of using diluted urine, though. For fear of sounding silly, how exactly do I get it? Pee in a bucket, or.... :/ And to what ratio of water to urine?

For trees that have just been planted, fertilizer is not as important as many people think. Some people ignorantly think that just because a young plant is not growing vigorously means it must need some help–and the easy and obvious way to help is fertilizer!

There are other bigger issues at play, and you cannot compensate for these issues with fertilizer. So do not worry about fertilizer.

As for why your tree is struggling, sometimes young trees can get too much sun. I put some semi-transparent polyester fabric covering my young fruit seedlings to limit sun exposure. The plant just cannot deal with all this sun and all the water evaporating from the leaves.

Also make sure the tree is getting consistent water in the summer and the soil remains slightly moist, but too much water will not help either.

One little comment: while urine does contain nitrogen (in the form of urea) and all sorts of healthy minerals, it also contains a small amount of salt, and this can potentially lead to soil salinity issues over time in some situations. Also urea (and urine) really smells, so I would not use too much at one time.

Again, a small plant can only utilize so many nutrients and so much water, you cannot force it to grow by giving it more fertilizer or more water than it needs.

The OP is growing a peach tree, not a small plant.

Thanks so much! I just want to save this tree....my husband is so excited about having fresh peaches. Of course, I have to keep reminding him that it's gonna be a few years, still! lol

Do keep in mind that trees can be like vines after transplant. I bagged a bunch of trees for the first year before I reshaped my existing treeline to accommodate them. Many of my trees basically slept last year, above the surface. The root growth was tremendous, and this year they burst into growth.

I got 6 contender peaches, 3 excelsior plums, and 5 Belle of Georgia this year. I am absolutely hooked and they were worth the wait. In five years my yard should be crazy!