Revised 11/98 -- Author Reviewed 11/98 HIL-201-B Effect on Plant
Size and Crop Yield Pruning a plant reduces its ultimate adult
size and the crop yield in at least the following season. To
compensate for this loss of bearing area and yield, other
factors, largely economic, must be considered in planning a
pruning program. Effect on Fruit Size By reducing the number of
fruit buds (and hence clusters) on the bush, pruning results in
an increase in the size of the individual berries. Up to a
point, the more severe the pruning, the larger the remaining
berries are. Pruning for increased size is a compromise between
desired size and yield (numbers) of fruit. Effect on Ripening
Period Moderate to heavy pruning tends to shift the ripening
period forward so that most of the remaining fruit ripens
together and early. Light pruning results in a longer season of
ripening. It may be more profitable in southeastern NC to prune
fairly heavily, even at the expense of some yield, to realize
the earliest possible maturity. Ef