It has been done on pecan. Short version, high applications of nitrogen throughout the season on seedling pecans pushes growth up to 8 feet in one season and the plants do not become dormant at end of season. In a cold climate, that is a death sentence.
Just looked up Pecan, seems like a warm weather species adapted for northern climates.
When the leaves fall a small amount of organic matter is broken down before winter but not a lot. I would think plants adapted to that? Some think so and studies suggest late fall to begin feeding to mimic nature.
I think garden rule number 7 is in order here:“Everything you know is wrong”,
Precisely, assuming the soil is not totally devoid of nitrogen towards end of the season the plants if have the tendency to put out new growth mainly based on nitrogen that became available would scour for that extra nitrogen and grow some shoots. Thankfully, nitrogen uptake cycle is studied in peach and late summer/early fall applications do benefit the tree as long as leaves are active which in turn depends on physiological behavior of the plant.
I have a Sunshine Blue blueberry that kept the leaves for the most part of this winter, dropped/damaged when temps dropped to teens for 3-4 days in January.
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Most of the nitrogen produced in nature is precipitated from the air by lightning strikes, snow, and a few other weather events. Once on and in the soil, it is converted to leaves that drop and decay and return the nitrogen to the soil. Some evaporates and becomes part of the atmosphere again. In a manner of speaking, earth is a giant nitrogen reflux condenser. Legumes are another way nitrogen enters plants where bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into stable compounds plants can absorb.