My Osborne Prolific (Neveralla) has 400+ main crop figlets. I always pinch
and have gotten up to 40 to ripen in the past.
Any advice on thinning them out or covering the tree with a plastic tarp to increase my yield?

Charles,
What happens if you do not pinch?
The figs do not ripen or they are just smaller?
Is the tree in the ground or in a container?

Hi TahomaGuy2,
Without a photo it did not happen :P (400 figs on one tree).
In which usda zone are you ?
How long have been the small figs hanging ? Just appearing now like for my "longue d'aout" or some of my "Dalmatie" ?
Too make a long story short, in Zone7, actions will benefit if done as of 1 st of august or sooner . When it is too late, it is already too late. A greenhouse will help .
The most effective action is pinching, but you then jeopardize the next breba crop - So the decision is all  yours and the consequences as well.
I tried in 2011 with a plastic tarp over the tree and it didn't change anything !
Good luck, and let us know if that works better for you.

I'll get a pic soon. All figs are of uniform size.
The mature tree is in the ground.
Neither pinching nor covering with a transparent plastic tarp for 3-months early in the season
seems to make a difference in fig development!?! OH! We have 3 consecutive days in the 80'scoming up
in our cool PNW and with the tree on the S. side of the house, hopefully some figs will start expanding.
Thanks for the 2-replies thus far.

hi Charles, my purple fig tree is also loaded, this is what I do.

I thin out some of the leaves, weak and thin branches, I knocked the smaller and the ones towards the tip out.

I put  plastic bags with small venting holes and containers that 'hold some warm air in around the figs'.  it works, you may have to thin them out a few more times.
 most important is that there is air flowing in the middle of the tree. Figs that will not ripe has a strange 'old look skin', so, knock those out also.
 
here are some of my branches.    

My neveralla cuttings from you succumbed. Neveralla from Slavi may not be Neveralla after all...so, I may have to get some from you again to graft onto my tree.

I put the bags about a week ago on the these branches and I can already see the speeding process. On the other side, the figs are much smaller and they get more sun from the west. So, I have to do the same when I have time. 

Thanks for the tips!
OH!  
I'll have a small Neveralla for you & one for Slavi
when I go up to the UW in 2-months.

Charles, if I were you, I would tie some of the branches a bit down so, more air gets in the middle of the canopy, yes, you can cut 1/3 of leaves out, it really helps. cut the very old and the brand new, thin the very weak and thin branches that only 'shade' the areas. they are not going to be very productive next year, only leaving the more robust leaves in place. your tree is a beauty!

Grasa, I had to smile when I saw your photos because, can you imagine the expression on someone's face when they drive by your tree and see all those plastic containers and bags, their thoughts and expressions would be priceless. Keep up the good work and posts.

Wow, very nice tree!

Grasa, did your tree order take out?

Gloria, hum, English is not my first language and here and there I trip on big words like 2 new ones today  while reading a magazine on my way back from SF (harangue and conundrum) By the way, I like big words, but I am struggling here what do you mean with 'your tree take out'? 

Wayne, my tree is not viewed from the street. the mesh in front of it is about 30 feet of tall grapes on poles, raspberries and tomatoes and apple trees.  In addition, my plot is higher than the street,  I built a 3/4 feet tall rockery (my new hedge of figs is in front of the rockery)  oh yeah, my daughter is very embarassed when I put upside down pots over the poles to trykeeping birds from the ripening cheries.

the containers you use to protect your figs are restaurant "take out" containers.... so I was making a joke about your tree ordering food while you weren't looking...