Hi, I bought a fig from Gurneys a couple of years ago.  I'm in zone 4 so it comes in before frost and stays in the basement until spring.  It is over 6 ft. now and re-potted last summer.  I so want to get some figs harvested this year. 

Also took some cuttings last fall and kept them in the vegetable drawer in the fridge and have buds on 2 that I've potted.  Our daughter brought me some cuttings last week from a tree in NYC and I put them in moist potting soil.  No buds yet but any suggestions on these new ones to help them root?  So. WI

3rd year no figs yet ?
This season nip the ends of the branches after 5th pair of leaves each pair grow on opposite sides and counted as such.
When new growth (shoots) appear at the cut take them off and if plant is self pollinating you will get the figs.
Try it.

In follwing years you do the same but can instead of taking all the new growth (shoots) off that appears after the nip
you select a shoot that is growing in your favor which is outward not inward toward the main or in a down position.

Martin,
  Leaf pairs?  Huh?!?!?  I'm not sure I know what you're talking about.  (Strike that...I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about.)  I've heard the advice of pinching a stem after 5 or 6 leaves, but not pairs of leaves.  I don' think I've seen more than one leaf come out of a single node (e.g. on opposite sides of the branch, same node).  Are you counting the leaves coming out of two adjacent/consecutive nodes as a "leaf pair"??
  I follow what you're saying about pinching, but the "pairs of leaves" part is throwing me...
Jim

just pinch it after handful of leaves. and keep at it until the figs set. usually you just have to do it once. next yr, the tree will set figs without help. my Kathleen's Black did the same. some folks will pinch it and some won't. those who did not pinch waited over 5 yrs without figs.. or so i have heard. 

Thank you all for the advice.  So I can cut the end shoots back now even though the tree is actively growing? 

Then to start the shoots that I cut do I need to just dip them in rootone and pot? 

The ones from NYC are not looking so hot.  I couldn't find the rootone when I potted them.  Should I take them back out and dip them and maybe encase in a plastic bag.  I have heard the ones from NYC have a really good flavor. 

I bet it was a tc (tissue culture), which often take 3+ years to start fruiting for most people based on what I've read here and elsewhere online.  I've seen rare accounts (one?) of someone getting figs from a tc after one year, but that's definitely an exception.

I dug into the issue because my first three plants were tc's from Wellspring Gardens (Black Mission, Green Ischia, and LSU Purple), and they haven't fruited yet (they're just under 2 yrs old) despite being very big plants (5' x 5' bushes with 1"+ trunks).  Meanwhile, the cuttings I've gotten from fruiting-age trees seem to readily fruit the first year even as small plants (this was my first winter doing cuttings, and several are already putting on fruit at under 1' tall).

Due to the night/day difference in my own experiences, I've developed a strong preference for cuttings and won't grow tc figs anymore unless it's the only way to get a particular variety.

Hi greenbud,
What strain is the one of the tree ?
IMO in Zone4, you should go greenhouse.
How long is your tomato growing season ?
Did your tree suffer die-back ?
Does the tree grow year after year from the terminal buds, or is she forced to come back from the ground or from a side bud ?

Thank you all for your suggestions and patience.  I don't know what variety my tree is.  It is usually safe here to put outside on June 1 and I have to bring it back in around the end of Sept. or early Oct.  That is the same growing time for tomatoes.

I would love a greenhouse but that is just out of my budget.  I'm going to rig up a dolly and straps to start moving it because it is getting heavy.  When I finish typing this I'm going out to pinch the buds back. 

The three cuttings from NYC were covered with fungus underneath the soil.  I cut off the bad part, dipped in rootone, and put in a seed starting mix.  Hope I can still save them... 

Forgot to say, the tree doesn't suffer any die back and is now about 6 ft. tall.

Arguably Fig trees need a dormancy period to go through their cycle and produce figs.
If you are bringing them in them to the basement before they drop their leaves then they are not getting the dormancy period the need and I think you won't get any figs produced.

I leave my fig trees out in the fall until after they drop their leaves and leave them out for a few weeks more until the weather gets really cold (20F).  Then I bring them in.  If the variety needs a longer season then give them an early start in the spring with some greenhouse technique.

he's in zone 4. not sure dormancy is an issue unless it's heated basement and he keeps it really warm. i know dormancy is suggested but not sure if it's really needed. how do we explain fig trees in places like CA where there isn't really a winter? first yr i had my trees, they didn't drop leaves and put on figs fine following yr. maybe i got lucky... as the trees get older, they are certain to drop leaves.  

I have a Black Mission fig that I purchased in early 2012 when it was already about 5' tall and an inch or more diameter, so had to be close to a year old.  Around Jan/Feb of 2013 I topped the tree to induce side branching, since it was pretty much a single stem.  Last year it did develop side branches, did go dormant and drop its leaves this winter (even here in South Florida!) and is coming back nice and lush, but with no signs of figs yet.

I did some research on possible causes of figs not fruiting and the only one (I don't remember the others) that I thought MAY apply to my situation was too high of a Nitrogen ratio.  I do grow in a compost mix and fertilize with fish emulsion (among other organics), so figured it may be the issue.  The recommended solution was to add Phosphorous to help offset the Nitrogen.  Although not specifically mentioned in the article, I scratched and watered some bone meal into the soil.

It's still too early to see if the bone meal induces fruiting, and if it does finally fruit I won't be sure if it was the bone meal or just its time, but thought it might help.

It may depend on the fig type/variety.  Obviously figs that grow in the jungle don't need dormancy other figs may only need a couple hundred chill hrs.
There are many different opinions on this topic.  I think like most plants in colder climates figs benefit from dormancy.

I pinched off all the emerging buds that I could see.  We live within commuting distance of Madison WI so our winters here typically go pretty cold with average maximum lows of - 25 F.  One year it went to -36 F. and windchills of -75 F.  Thank heavens that is a rare occurrence. 

Our basement hovers between 40 F and 34 F in the winter depending on how high we get the woodstove going upstairs.  I think the fig does go into dormancy at these temps.  and my biggest concern is the soil not drying out too much during those 5 to 6 months.  I water intermittently during the winter but don't want to rot the roots...

Right now the fig is on the front porch with a fair amt. of light and temps. bet. about 37 F and 60 F.  It is leafing out & looks healthy except for what appears to be a small vertical crack on the trunk about 20" from the soil.  I don't know if one of the cats decided to claw it?  I will try to get it outside for increasing amts. of time as soon as we have some nice weather again.  It's cold and rainy today.

Btw I am an old lady or woman (or other terms) depending on who you ask.  Thanks again for sharing your wisdom!

Greenbud plants don't care about young or old caretakers long as they get some love.
Wishing you best in health.

Thank you Martin, I'll gratefully accept all good wishes and prayers, too.  You being in zone 5, what do you do with your figs for winter protection?  I think our basement works good for temps. and I also store dahlias and cannas down there.  I guess we'll see if I have enough of a growing season to produce figs and then ripen them.  Time will tell.

so it's not dormancy and it's not pinching. did it ever put on pea size fig at least? or no fig what-so-ever? do you have picture of the tree and the leaf? 

     Well my husband and I are trying to post a picture of the fig tree and it was too big so hopefully this will work.  This is a relatively new laptop and we're not comfortable with it yet.  If not successful I'll try again at another time.  
  

Greenbud picture not working yet but don't give up .  ; )