Hello, all.  I'm a new member, seeking help.
I'm in Virginia, Zone 7. My in-ground fig trees, ages 3-18 years, have not yet produced the smallish, pea-sized fruits that will become 2012's main crop.
I never fertilize beyond a shovel or 3 of side-dressed compost. This year, my figs have produced more brebas than usual, but only 10-20 per plant.
The brebas have always been large but of inferior quality; most of the main crops have been delicious. I want a main crop!
Should I:
1) remove the brebas to get the main crop going?
2) fertilize with a moderately high phosphate ratio?
3) or take some other action?

Thanks for your help. Tomatobob

RC,

Welcome to the forum!

What kind of soil do you have? Ever tested or had it tested for pH and nutrients?

What Varieties?

Can you post pics of the trees?

Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome.  My soil is typical Virginia clay and I've never had it tested.  On the other hand, these trees have produced very well in the past, and for the older ones that's over 14 years, so it seems strange that I'd suddenly have this problem.  Our past winter was our mildest in almost 20 years and for the first time in that span, frost did not blacken the green growing tips. 
My two oldest figs are Brown Turkeys, I also have two Black Missions (4 and 2 yrs), a Calimyrna (not sure I have that name spelled correctly)(5 years), a Marseilles (4 yrs) , and two unknowns that the finder named Quantico Greek (5 yrs) because that's where he found them and was told the plants either came from Greece or the ex-owner of the hose was Greek. 
I'll ask the technocrat in the house about posting pics, but the trees look healthy and normal to me. 
My quandry right now is: fertilize with a phosphate-rich product, or not?

I have a tree going into its third year. It never put out fig until it was pinched and fertilized with high phosphorus fertilizer. Not sure which one did the trick, but general advice I got was pinching.

Pete

I would pinch the tips if the branches have at least 5-6 leaves and/or 1 ft of new growth. That always did the trick for me on 2-3 years old trees. I would not fertilize, that usually only creates lots of leaves (unless the trees look stunted)

My advice would be no for now. However, you should get your soil tested by your Ag agent to verify what I am going to tell you.

Since you have clay soil, it is likely alkaline in nature (high pH). Clay soil also tends to be high in Phosphorus. Problem with high Phosphorus levels is that they inhibit the uptake of Nitrogen by plant roots (especiallly in young trees). Of you add that phosphate supplement to the soil, you will likely upset the balance you have now and make the Nitrogen uptake more difficult for your trees. Besides that, Phosphorus is the nutrient that fig trees need the least of (and it's already in abundance in your clay soil anyway!). One way you can verify this is by recalling/observing if you have ever noticed the presence of Iron Chlorosis in some of your plants? If so, you probably have very alkaline soil (like I do) and what I have told you is correct. More phosphorus would be exactly the wrong thing to add.

 Since the trees have borne adequate fruit in the recent past and since they are all still young, the problem is likely rooted in some other source.

Here is more info on Iron Chlorosis and it's management: http://forestry.usu.edu/htm/city-and-town/tree-care/preventing-and-treating-iron-chlorosis-in-trees-and-shrubs