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The greenhouse would have stable level of light, (matched with day/night wavelength brightness changes like outside the greenhouse), humidity and temperature.

Do certain processes in the tree not trigger? Does this harm the organism, and are there changes in life expectancy?

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  • $\begingroup$ Transplantation success rates vary between species. Do you have a particular deciduous tree in mind? Or are you imagining creating a greenhouse around the tree? $\endgroup$
    – James
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 4:45
  • $\begingroup$ Are you asking whether the tree would drop its leaves in the fall, or if it would just keep on growing as outdoor trees do in the summer? $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 5:07
  • $\begingroup$ I dont really know to what extent this has been researched/tried, but I want to know what happens to trees that have evolved to lose their leaves (and other adaptations ofc) when winter stops and the weather doesnt fluctuate annually. $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 14:36

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It harms the trees, seasonal chemistry in the plant is reduced and weakened they have tried growing apples and decidious fruit trees at the equator and they have to treat them chemically to help them stay stronger:

http://www.actahort.org/books/49/49_14.htm

the tropics have seasonal queues, and in a greenhouse with no temp and light change, the plant would be very disoriented, the critical glucose and leaf cycling would be very degraded, because plants have most of their queues from temps, water and sun.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2001-02/981072513.Bt.r.html

more infos

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    $\begingroup$ My understanding (as a gardener) is that a lot of temperate-zone fruits actually require a certain number of chilling hours - that is, time spent below some temperature - to trigger fruit production the next season. (Something similar applies to some bulb & seeds - they don't sprout unless they've experienced some chilling.) I don't know whether that applies to things other than fruit production, though. $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 19:32
  • $\begingroup$ @jamesqf My understanding from living by the Mediterranean, where winters without any chilling night aren't uncommon but most European fruit trees grow and produce fruit, is that chilling days are not critical. Daytime length is probably more important as regulator. $\endgroup$
    – Pere
    Commented Dec 23, 2017 at 22:54
  • $\begingroup$ @Pere Dec. The meditteranean evokes citrus grapes and almonds, I just checked this info for apples: Most apple varieties need 500 to 1,000 chill hours or temps below 45 degrees F.... some northern plants require some time in the freezer to sprout, and they do have deciduous biochemistry, where some seasonal change is essential. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 31, 2022 at 2:13

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