hI Eli.
some pics from previous years.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/wondering-what-this-is-5393061
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/My-first-fig-ever..-almost-ripe-5467228?highlight=grimo

and the taste is good,
seems to get better each year, getting more depth, more complex.
will dry on the tree as well

Don't count the rest of us out yet.  Fruit that forms in June still can ripen!

We have in pots, Marseilles Black VS, Atreano, Hardy Hartford, Gino's Black, Improved Celeste, Fortisi, Ronde de Bordeaux, Abruzzi, Sal's EL, just to name a few.

So far, Abruzzi, is the only one that has figs starting.  It appears our strain of Abruzzi, may be the earlist of the figs we are testing.

The only other fig that has impressed me this year, is Laradek's English Brown Turkey. It was held in storage like the Abruzzi. But it has breba as large as small peaches, and it is only 12 months old.
It looks to me like maybe LaRadek's English Brown Turkey, just might end up being the Desert King for the north.

So, for us the earliest for embryo development for main crop figs is Abruzzi, and LaRadek's English Brown for breba.

Both are in pots, and out of the two dozen or so of our cold hardy figs we are testing, these are the two standouts so far, this year.

Bob - Connecticut - zone 5b/6a 

here are some of my match heads. they seem to be definite.. but nothing is definite until it's in my mouth.

i'm rather surprised by Figo Preto. didn't expect figs at this time. it's going into 2nd yr.. but still small. Kathleen's Black is setting figs this yr without pinching. VdB is old reliable. Paradiso Gene, i just hope the weather will cooperate this yr. Genovese Nero, yeah.. i'm looking forward to it. 

others that are still thinking about what to do are CdDB, CdDN, RdB, Black Madeira, White Greek, and JH Adriatic. Calvert, and Ischia White already had good size figs on them. 

now Hardy Chicago, i didn't take pix of only too what looks like definite, but it's growing fast and putting on lot of figs. i'll probably knock off most of them but 3-5. it's going in 2nd yr and i think, but still small. 

I have main crop forming on Black Triana, Unknown OC "Hearty Flavor" and Bryant Dark, Thanks to Pete S.  All of these are in pots in the garage for the winter.

None of my Desert Kings have put on any breba.  I have at least 4, 1 is about 5 years old.  I hope the rest of my figs hurry up and fruit.

So far the only sign of main crop figs are on Hardy Chicago and Petite Negra (Joe Morle). Both are potted trees. My in ground HC is just starting to grow. It better play catch up in the next few weeks.

At this time, we have 4 fruiting figs in Palo Alto, CA. All are pruned severely to keep them 'in check' so the main crop is our crop. As expected Osborne's Prolific (the least tasty of them) has the most embryos. They are also larger than those on Lampiera and Jurupa. Our Panache (needs more heat than it gets) will probably produce a few figs again this year. They are tasty, but they are small in size and number.

baumgrenze

I Reported on 6-1-13, that Abruzzi was our first potted main crop fig to show embryos. Have to make a correction. Behind the Abruzzi were I did not at first notice it, there was a Hardy Hartford. It to has embryos, about the size of a grain of rice.

So, that would put Abruzzi and Hardy Hartford as our first main crop figs to appear, for 2013. But, in the past Hardy Hartford has not ripened it's crop until September. But we are at least 200 miles north of Herman

Bob - Connecticut - zone 5b/6a 

In ground trees Black Triana and San Pietro are starting to show rice sized embryos.

Here's a few with main crop that are starting.
Hardy Chicago and a couple Unknowns.
They are all in pots.

6/2/13: main crop starting for the following (all in pots)

Hardy Chicago
Dark Portuguese
Brown Turkey- Miller Nursery
VDB- Raintree Nursery
La Goccia D'Oro

All in ground trees are very behind including normally early Italian Honey. I'm not expecting anything until late September early October. Most of April and May was very cool here in Northern New Jersey

 Peter
 Northern New Jersey 6B

thinking the same... late aug. to mid sept. for first fig. VdB might be a week or two earlier. the spring weather was not exactly optimal.

Very cool spring here in Georgia.  I think Petite Negri breba will be ripe next week or maybe the week after.  Main season buds are showing, I think PN will be about one and a half to two weeks later in mid august.

Here are some of my figs on 02.06.2013.All in groud trees.
Brunswick,RdB,Dalmatie

I have main crop figs or swelling buds on Celeste, Portuguese dark, Lebanese red, Ischia ( all colors!)  The one that amazes me is the Lebanese red, it has FMV since leafing out, but continues to push growth, now has two figs, not bad for 7 months old. Makes me wonder if it really is... what was sold to me as cuttings

Herman...that June 1st. to Aug 1st. ripening cycle is of great importance to those of us who live in an area with a short growing season...I've copied the varieties mentioned in this thread in order to have a concise list of early ripening figs...are there any more that you can think of that have not been mentioned?...it would be a great guide to future fig tree purchases for those of us who would like to taste more ripe figs before our shortened growing season comes to a close.

Edit:...so the list comes out to 41 varieties posted on this thread...21 of these I already have, so it will give me more of an idea as to what choices to make on my UC Davis selections this year. 

My unknown Carini:  3rd year in the ground - breba should ripen by end of June.  No main figs yet.

2-3 year old Gino Black - potted - several main crop figs appearing - first noticed about a week ago.

After reading this on Saturday, June 1, I went into the yard, bright sunshine- no luck.
It has been very cool this Spring in coastal central NJ so I figured we are 2 weeks behind.
Today, armed with reading glasses I went out, in the rain, and success! Very happy now.

Main crop starting on VDB, RDB, Sal's, Gino's, Malta Black. I'm sure there are other, just didn't feel like getting too wet.

Keep my fingers crossed for good (not violent) summer weather.

Herman,

Your information is appreciated as always, especially info on thinning the tree branches for light penetration.  When did you do your pinching this year?  Have you noticed whether your strategy of using bricks to trap heat has had an effect?  Another post mentioned it, but I would definitely be interested in a list of early ripening figs.  I think I'll start tracking that information this year along with some other info (taste, productivity, resistance to rain).  There's a good amount of information on ripening dates for things like apples, peaches, etc, but not as much on figs in the northeast.

I was out yesterday trimming around my trees and did some pinching on all figs that looked like they needed it.  As another post mentioned, it's been a cool spring so I think my trees are a couple weeks behind where they'd otherwise be.

Tim

Vince,and Tim:Figs in pots ,or figs in pots or ground in Hot climates like Arizona,give false readings.
Only figs in ground count for me to have an Idea what is early and what is not.
Figs like Preto,Madeira Black,Or, Col de Dame,are late ripening,late to produce embryos,if in ground,but will force them self of producing early Embryos if in pots ,greenhouse,or in climates like Arizona.
Many figs mentioned in the above post are not early,only a few of the 41 you have written down are.
You can Mark down the three I mentioned in above post,and,you can mark down Malta Black,Atreano, and Tacoma Violet,that now on June 3,indeed formed match head size fruits now,in my garden,in ground ,in a natural way,in a cold climate,that they are indeed early.
The Bricks did not help at this point but it could have been helping,in an invisible way to keep my in ground plants protected from early frost.

I would like your thoughts on why you consider in ground vs in pots a difference on fruiting timing. Put aside hot climates, greenhouses or small pots.

The fig in ground is acting normally,fruiting according to it's genes,early or late,depending of the genes it got.
Figs in pots,are under torture suffering,so the surviving mood  turns on,and that is why it produces embryos,ASAP,at the risk ,of depleting itself of all the energy it got.
Heat also have an effect in turning plant ,very fast in the seed producing mood.
Plant Lettuce,late in Arizona sun and you will see that no matter how much you water,The lettuce goes bitter,and produce flower very fast,faster than you can use them.
Plant the same Lettuce in February ,March,in shade,and they will be growing plump tasty leaves,and will flower and seed ,way later,giving you a chance to enjoy the tasty leaves.
It is the surviving mood,that the plants ,turn to when under stress.!

You are describing harsh extremes. Comparing figs trees to lettuce is apples to oranges.  Lettuce in Maine will bolt in the July and August hot summer sun. I agree that long term in ground trees do grow differently than potted trees, but I try to manage my potted ones for only a few years in the pots and do not consider them to be under harsh stress because they receive more attention than the in ground ones in terms of watering and root management.

i keep all my trees in container. i do not have experience of herman.. but looking at the posts by martin and others, container culture can also produce exceptional figs. might not be as good as fig trees in ground with well draining soil, but good enough for me to go "wow". i'm sure there are some varieities that will benefit much more from being in the ground.. but i like the benefit of being able to move my trees around and being a mother hen to the them. it's great for of moving meditation for me.