Name: Big Bill Livonia Michigan (Zone 6a) If you need to relax, grow plants!!
I would just "let them do their thing". If you try to improve and do Mother Natures job for her by stripping off tree leaves, excuse my French, but that is crazy!!
You plant them, nurture them, and just leave them be.
Orchid lecturer, teacher and judge. Retired Wildlife Biologist. Supervisor of a nature preserve up until I retired.
Thank you for your quick reply. I have seen YouTubers like plant biologist Charles Maliki of IV Organics and Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson strip leaves off of a tree that fails to drop them due to warmer climates. They contend that if they don't drop their leaves they don't go dormant and that no dormancy means no fruit the next year. My plums aren't the only ones not dropping leaves either. This year the apples, apricots, peaches, and pears have not dropped their leaves yet either. Thanks again!
It may be "too early" to drop leaves this year. While some of my trees are dropping a lot of leaves, other plants are still full of dark green leaves still.
Thank you all for your help. I know a lot about fruit trees but I don't know everything by far! I grew up in NC zone 6b. Growing fruit and veg there is different.
I am not used to fruit trees still having leaves this late in the year. They are all low chill fruit trees but I know they still need dormancy. I will leave the leaves on and hope for the best.