rockm

Dormancy in deciduous trees is far from only loss of leaves. It's a complicated process that can't be duplicated by only removing the leaves on a tree. Dropping leaves are only the end result of a long process of nutrient storage in the plant. Leaf drop is not dormancy--it's a sign that the tree is moving to dormancy. I'd think that nanually removing leaves if the tree has not been exposed to climactic conditions that trigger the dormancy process could actually weaken your tree by forcing it to produce an entire set of new leaves quickly.