Peach Tree (avalon Pride) struggling after planting

Hello,
Last year I posted about a Peach Tree I had in a pot that was struggling due to drainage. Here: Avalon Pride transplant concerns
Since solving this issue (thanks to people here) by improving the soil its been good.
However a month or so ago I planted this tree in the ground and I have concerns its struggling once again.
I moved it as it was still cold but looked like it was coming out of dormancy. I carefully removed it from the pot, keeping all the soil intact and put it in a hole that was big enough to accommodate the plug. Watered it well and have been checking it since.
The worry is that some blossoms appeared then died off. Some leaves started shooting but appear limp and unhealthy and some tips of the branches have blackened and some lower branches appear to be dying.
Again Im concerned about drainage (we have a lot of clay) so yesterday I dug a hole beside the plug and watered to see if water would drain into it but that didnt appear to happen. Ive also trimmed the worst of the blackened ends off back to the first healthy looking node.


Ive been pretty patient hoping it was just adjusting. But Im now considering returning it to the pot, get it back to health and replant later after attempting to further improve the soil, but this is obviously risking more stress to the little tree.

Any suggestions welcome. Thank you.

 

I'd just leave it and see what happens.
Keep moving it around is not going to help.
If it's not water logging then it should settle down.
Unless there is other problems that the plant is suffering from.

 

Thanks Pete, I read your message and decided to hold off on any immediate action. Fingers crossed it works itself out.
Cheers

 

It has basically no roots in the soil, it should spend its first years establishing a root base before it will be stable at all.
I wouldnt fertilise it much, if you do put it around the soil not directly onto the rootball. Ive seen instances where the pot soil was so rich the plant never puts roots outside it and ends up dying of drought at the first bad summer.

 

Oh it was only a month ago. I didnt read! The first year always looks bad. a folk saying ive heard is "the first year it sleeps, the second it creeps, the third it leaps" and it seems true enough for the fruit trees and bushes ive planted.

Staking it properly will help the first roots develop. Get a bamboo pole or something and pile it in deep, diagonally, so it overlaps with the base of the trunk. Then secure that. This helps stop it wiggling around which can hurt the young roots. In a few years the stake can come out. This is how all the trees at a nearby orchard the council planted were done.

How to stake a tree / RHS

rhs always useful