Hi Patrick,

Defoliation can offer more benefits than just minimizing leaf size. It
can help improve ramification and allow light to penetrate to the
interior of the tree to help promote backbudding and ensure the
continued health of weaker, interior branching, an area which you might
choose not to defoliate at all.

This site has a good description of maple defoliation.

http://tinyurl.com/ypz5z

I have seen the caution concerning leaving part of the petiole but
haven't seen the reasoning. Maybe Jim Lewis knows? I can see it might
help avoid trauma or delay the re-foliation by a week or two, but to
tell you the truth, I have cut leaves and I have stripped them, but I
have never really seen any significant difference. Of course, I could
be overlooking the obvious!

Regards,

Matt


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