Returned to Plum Tree after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Plum Tree failed — fireblight bacterial disease affecting pears and apples got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to mulching around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a specimen tree as a garden focal point and long productive lifespan of decades with good management is on full display. fruitlet setting and development through summer this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.