So we are having (so far) a very mild winter here in N. Florida. 

Most of my trees are beginning to show signs of impending dormancy after a hard summers' growth.

All except my Sicilian Black.

Maybe its because she's snuggled up to the brick house.  Maybe its because she's Sicilian ... maybe...

She's just a psycho growing machine.  Keeps putting out new leaves. New branches. New figlets. I take the figlets off and next week there is twice as many.

She needs to behave and join her sisters for a little rest.

Seriously, though, Im wondering if I should let nature take its course and leave the figlets on and see if I get an extra early crop next spring?

Leave one. I am leaving a fig on a dormant tree to see what happens next season.

I would remove the figlets......the plant will go dormant at some point before they can ripen and why waste that energy?  50% of my inground trees are dormant........25% are almost dormant and that remaining 25% think it is still summer and are green.  If though you snap a leaf off there is little to no sap so they are ready to go dormant.  That is what I would do James......snap a leaf off at the stem and see if it bleeds, my bet is it will be pretty dry.  It is better for the plant to defoliate now gradually with help if need be than have the cold do it in a couple weeks as a sudden shock.

I agree it is warm......that is not such a good thing after our cooler than normal fall as my blueberry plants think spring has arrived and the buds are swelling.  Have overhead freeze protection on all 3 BB beds but is still better if they wait to bloom until February.  

Hi Nativesun,
I wouldn't remove the figlets and don't remove the leaves.
Let the tree do what she wants. They are stubborn and if you remove the figlets the energy in the stem will make new figlets start growing.
You will remove the figlets once the tree starts the 2015 cycle . This is in April or May for me here . Until then, take a paper towel, and shed a tear ... One fig less ...
Your figtrees are not the only ones playing with their growers nerves ... I had cleaned mine in November and last thursday most had new figlets, even Pastiliere had some... And since Saturday, we have snow . Take that !
I even saw two young stems breaking buds ... I guess, the buds are toast by now ...

I'm sure if I remove the figlets, some new will pop out, and I want to slow that, for them figs to pop as expected in April .

James,
  As a "proof of concept" experiment I left a small fig on a containerized tree at the end of 2013.  It survived dormancy and ripened early in 2014 (first fig of the season for me.)  The fig I left on the tree was a small fig...larger than just an embryo, but not full size.  The fig looked just like a breba come springtime -- i.e. on a bare branch with no leaves around it, but it was truly a main crop fig from the previous season that successfully wintered over.  It swelled up and ripened just as you'd expect.
  I did this after seeing a video of an English fig grower pruning his trees and getting them ready for winter dormancy.  He removed all the big figs but mentioned the concept of leaving some of the smaller ones on for just this purpose.  You could try it with a couple of figs as an experiment.
  Cheers,
Jim
PS -- the ripe fig was very, very tasty.  The tree was grown from a cutting described as "Dwarf Portugal."
 

Jim,

Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience.  Good to know!

    I have not done this to fig trees but have to other plants that were having a hard time going to sleep. I put lots of Ice around them to chill the soil and trunk. After that I applied a heavy mulch so the soil would not warm back up.
     I have also done the opposite to plants and that is dump warm water on the soil to warm it and then covered with mulch to keep it warm, to start an early awaking.
     I have also piled the snow and ice on top of the area I have Tulips growing and covered it in straw to delay their bloom. results were, everyone else were done blooming and mine were just starting.
   People, and I, do this type of things to flowers like Amarilys to awaken them early or delay awaking, so we control when they bloom.
  Soil temperature plays an important part in a plants life cycles.

Thanks Bev

Im going to let nature take its course ... with the exception of moving the tree indoors if we get below freezing -- if she drops the figs, so be it. If not, well it will be interesting to see how things pan out.  Jim I saw the same video and that got me thinking about trying it and seeing how it goes... 

We are having a very warm winter here so far.  So the results may be pretty good --