"Baz" wrote in message
...
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth on
the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.

I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.

I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it
a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)

I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would like
to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I have also
read that compost is a must!

I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly" one so
I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?


On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut and
paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion if you have
some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.

HTH

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")