Should I pull leaves?

Hello and happy new year everyone.

I have a couple small trees that I'm keeping dormant in a fridge around the freezing mark. Ones a chinese elm and a couple are cotoneaster microphylla.
They've been in there about a month since the weather outside was to dangerous for their roots. They lost a few of their leaves, but most are still green and show no sign of dropping.

Should I defoliate them or wait? If the leaves are still there when they come out of dormancy, will they effect new growth?

Thanks, Mike

Hello Mike. I wouldn't pull the leaves off. They will fall of theie own accord.

I have wintered over small trees in the fridge & it works fine. You may need to put baggies over them so they don't dry out too much. Check them periodically to make sure the leaves haven't fallen off. Remove any fallen leaves or anything dead, because they will get moldy.

Thanks for your responses. Guess I'll just let them be then. I have been keeping them wrapped up with small air holes, and check on them every other week. So far so good.