All berries are vigorous perennials. Their pruning is partly to encourage heavier production, but also partly to control rampant growth. The brambles will become impenetrable thickets without regular heavy pruning, and strawberries will become a dense mat of small plants.
Pruning berries correctly requires an understanding of their growth patterns. The pruning technique is matched to the plants’ growth habit and timing. In general, plants should have the most leaves and be most vigorous at the time they are setting buds. This encourages a heavy bud set, and the flower buds become the next berry crop.