Re: A question about removing pups....
Keep some. Pups provide anchorage for the parent plant. When a plant flowers it stops producing new leaves and roots. With a heavy bunch of fruit hanging up high, swaying in the wind, the pups provide additional holding power to keep the parent plant from being uprooted. This is especially important for some varieties that kind of "give up" before the fruit ripens. They "think" that flowering is the time to "retire".
Some varieties react poorly to pup removal just before the flower, affecting fruit size and quantity, so avoid removal at that time.
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