Excessive flowering and fruit-set will result in smaller fruits and fruits of non-uniform quality at harvest. Heavy fruiting trees may suffer from overloading that may affect their growth and fruiting ability for the coming season.

Thinning of flowers or young fruits may be necessary for durian to ensure good quality fruits are to be produced. Fruit thinning of durian is not common in Malaysia but it is commonly practiced by growers in Thailand.

Fruit thinning is normally done 5-8 weeks after anthesis at which the occurrence of natural fruit abortion is at the minimum. Smaller and off-shape fruits are removed and only symmetrical fruits of uniform size are left on the tree. The degree of thinning depends on the variety and the size of tree and branches. Usually, mature trees are allowed to have 70-80 fruits, with one fruit left per panicle . Fruits on the same branches should not be too close to each other.

Some growers tie the fruit to the branch of the tree so that when it drops naturally, it remains suspended by the string and can be harvested without the fruit touching the ground. It is usually practised in areas where durian trees are planted on hill slopes to prevent the fruit from falling on to the ground and rolling down the slope, which makes harvesting inefficient.