........here in the UK (according to our gardening experts) runs something like this:

1. At the end of the season, pinch off all fruit that is larger than pea size.

2. Providing there is sufficient protection from winter frosts, the pea-sized figlets will survive into the following year and ripen to yield an early first crop.

That's the theory. In my experience, the practice is somewhat different. After trying this technique 2 or 3 times, I've never had a figlet from the current year survive into the following year long enough to ripen, even when protected against frosts.

Even trees over-wintered indoors have shed their fruit by mid to late spring, and well before ripening. So I'm beginning to have serious doubts about the validity of this advice. Has anybody on this forum ever successfully ripened fruit from the previous year?

I have heard that and have never seen it happen.

Coming from a moderator who knows his stuff, I reckon that 'admission' is fairly conclusive evidence that this advice is at best an old wive's tale, and at worst a load of doggy doodoos. But at least it confirms what I've long suspected - and it exonerates my failed attempts to prove the theory.

You're probably right but...keep in mind, there are over 700 varieties of figs, and probably even more micro climates throughout the world.   

Most of the stuff I have read from British garden books and magazine has little use to fig growing and it is very generic. I winter mine under glass and the first fruit is always the new breba crop.

That's all very well Luke, but I'm talking about advice given specifically in relation to fig trees, eg by Monty Don. And you don't make clear whether any of your breba crop was actually already on the vine in the previous year. My hunch is that your entire breba crop represents current year's growth, right? Furthermore, isn't overwintering indoors at least the equivalent of the greenhouse, unless yours is heated?

Centurion - You may well be right, but I'm also sure there are a lot more than 700 members on this forum, and not one has yet explicitly claimed that they have successfully ripened fruit that was on the vine in the previous year. QED.

My late main crop have never produced fruit, only the new brebas on last years wood which start to grow about may time.
Yes I would say taking the plant indoors is the same if not better as my greenhouse is not heated, I was just trying to explain what I did and not make a point of the greenhouse sorry if it read that way.
Also the books/magazines I have read have usually only had 2-5 pages allocated to figs and so not very speacalized,
Sorry if my post came across as arrogant, I was just trying to give my point of view as a fellow Brit.

@ Luke - No apology needed or necessary mate, and you certainly did not come across as arrogant. If that charge can be laid at anyone's door, it's mine.

And thx for the clarification, which I believe proves my original point.

i knock off all my figs that has not ripen by the end of the season. either that or they drop inside the garage over the winter or get fuzzy with mold and what not. easier to dump them on the lawn and mow over then try to clean the garage with good number of fig trees in it.

like dave said, there are large number of figs around, and different climates that people grow these things.. only thing i can say is what i have seen with my eyes, but i'm sure there are ton of things that i haven't experienced yet.

Indeed Pete, which is why I put the question to the forum members. I appreciate it's still early days, but to date, not one has yet claimed that they have either witnessed or themselves successfully ripened a previous year's crop. My original postulate - that this alleged fig cycle is pure fiction, still stands as far as I'm concerned.