Any Scarlet oak tree you plant, even one in a container needs to be planted just prior to breaking dormancy. Trying to plant one after leaf flush is very risky. Your zone 5 climate might be still cool enough that the tree is waiting to break dormancy. It also may not be able to take up enough moisture from your spring rains for it to leaf just yet. Espoma makes a Bio-tone Starter microbial plant Food which they say is for all plants and transplants. They report that it stimulates root growth, helps plants establish fast, and improves soil structure. A local nursery I respect uses the stuff for all their transplants, and they soak their bareroot items in it for 30 minutes prior to potting them. Since your Scarlet oak tree is already planted, I would get some of that product. First pour 5 gallons of the diluted product over the root ball area of the tree. you might need to create a wall of dirt just outside of the rootball area around the tree to contain the mixture so it does not run off before the ground can absorb it down to the rootball. Wait a week and apply 5 gallons of the diluted product on it again. then wait another week and repeat the process. To make up the mixture each time, simply shake the product and add 2 tablespoons of it per each gallon of water you apply. It is likely that shortly after the third week of those applications your tree should break dormancy, if not before. Also, it is not unusual for some newly planted trees to begin with less foliage. I planted a potted, dormant Black Tupelo tree at my Daughter's house in February of 2006. In the following Spring the tree leafed out sparcely. There, in Fort Worth last year, the drought was pretty bad, with quite high summer temps. Fortunately they watered quite a bit due to them trying to establish a freshly sodded 'Palmetto' Saint Augustine yard. Even so the tree stressed and its leaves turned red in the hottest and driest part of the summer. So they increased the watering even more. This Spring has been much cooler than normal for them and they recently received a long period of frequent rains. Now the tree is leafed out fully and appears to be well on its way to becoming a well established tree. Even now, before it is fully established it has already developed into a very nice and healthy looking tree that they are very proud of; especially when they see their neighbor's dead trees that were never watered properly last year in the drought season.

I'm so sorry, but, it doesn't look completely dead yet. Your potting mix looks very wet or is it just very black? Young lychee plant don't need the extreme moistness of larger trees does. Carefully pulled out the tree and look at the root ball/system. If they are still whitish and not dark brown. Then the lychee still has a fighting chance. All those leaves will eventually drop or you can pull them off now. It will be a slower process to regrow new leaves, but, if the root system is dark brown, then it is most likely dead. But, whitish roots, still have hope for recovering. Will be slower, but will recovered. I have some young plants like that too, all the leaves died and turned brown. But their root system is still alive, just took longer to recover, after such a stressful period of leaf drops. Hang on to the little guy, it will recover, eventually. Just don't give it water unless you notice the soil is getting on the dry side.

Yes, you can cut. Feel the stem. Is it squishy? You will want to cut the stem back until you reach healthy tissue (start at the roots, of course). I see some brown on the stem. I would start cutting there, and work up. Keep cutting until you reach tissue with no black or brown. You want creamy white-green. After you finish cutting, dust with cinnamon to discourage disease and rot. Let the cut stem sit out of soil for a few days (in a dry, dim, cool place). the cut end will feel rough and hard (not moist or juicy). Put it in new DRY soil. I would suggest using 60% perlite and 40% cactus and succulent mix. wash the perlite to get out the dust. Don't breathe in the dust, either- it is harmful to the lungs. Prop up the stem in the soil with rocks, so it stays upright. In a few weeks, you should see roots :) Don't check often for roots, or you may break existing ones. It is best to wait until you see new growth, and then you can water a bit. The soil you have in the picture looks like it has a large contingent of peat. Peat holds water for a long time, and that rots the roots. By doing the above mix, you can avoid rot, but still be careful with watering. To check if you need to water, you can use a wooden skewer. Poke it into the soil, and if it comes out dry, you can water. Good luck! ~palmsandsnow

It looks like all the overwatered FLFs I've read about on the houseplants forum, and all of them have turned out to be caused by overwatering. 'Overwatering' happens when the soil stays saturated for long periods of time, preventing air from prejudicing oxygen to the roots, leading to dead and rotting roots and a plant that starts to kill and drop leaves its reduced root system can no longer support. You might want to scan the first page or two on that forum for FLF threads, but meanwhile I'll ask a few questions: Does the pot have a drain hole? How do your water--on a schedule, when the top of the soil is dry, or when the soil at the bottom of the pot is dry? Do you give it a fixed volume of water, or water until it drains freely from the pot? Does the pot ever sit in standing water? What kind of soil are you using? Have you potted up (put the plant in a bigger pot with new soil around the existing rootball) or repotted it (removed all old soil from the roots, pruned errant roots, and replaced the soil with all new mix)?