I'm in 6a.  At what point should I turn off fruit production? What I mean is at what point will a fig begin to form but never get ripe before winter?  I'd rather not have the tree waste the energy for something i'll never get to sample. 

fig takes about 85 days to ripe. so.. if it starts to show now.. late sept, it should ripe... last year, i had a tree ripening figs in nov.

not sure about the HC or the unknow you have, but some are really late and needs heat to ripe properly.

pete

Of first frost here is usually mid-late October. So I should maybe stop any new ones around July 15-ish

Yeah Herman talked about this last year, you establish a specific date for your zone and just remove any late forming figs. Can't recall the date though, maybe he will chime in again, but I think for me it was July 30. I might be able to go a couple weeks later than you as I usually don't see frost until mid Novemeber. Any forming now are well within the ripening time frame for you and me.

Barry- As always thank you

Sling don't forget to pinch your tips. I count 6 leaves then pinch or clip if I let it go to long. That will limit your crop and help your tree set fruit faster so it has time to ripen. I just pinched mine a few days ago and barely noticeable bud have popped into half to 1 inch figs over the past week.

The ones you get in october won't be as sweet though, I will stop any new ones around july 1st for me in zone 6 b

The ones I get in November aren't very sweet, my October figs have been very good. Are you sure your zone is 6b all the way up in Canada?

I tend to want time the fruit to mature before the first week of october, for me in toronto.  I had fruit into November but it was not that sweet.  Also, everything grows slowly after the end of august because of less light.  i am pinching now.

From what I've read...70-85 days from embryo figs to ripe figs...depending on culture and growing climate.  Pinch off anything that will not ripen.  Energy will go into ripening quality figs.  Why grow late forming figs that will not ripen?

On my trees, if they form after the first week in July, they get pinched off.  The curse of us short-season growers.  Better some, than none.

Frank

zones for canada.
http://planthardiness.gc.ca/images/cfs11x8E.jpg
look at vancouver area
that is why they have fig trees growing unprotected

I have also already started pinching

Grant
z5b

I guess the map doesn't lie. Canada does indeed have zone 6 wow. That does explain some of the posts I've read in the past.

Canada has zone 8a in some parts of British Columbia

For me I have had figs ripening on 2 different trees mid october, one is about 40 years old in a greenhouse the other is my (now) 3 year old tree, it could just be the weather that year but I am going with what most of the Italians around here tell me which is if you haven't got them by October they aren't worth eating.  They still are but they don't have as much sugar as if it's August or September.  That is my personal experience, for point of reference I'm an hour west of Detroit.

Isn't the hardiness zone based on the coldest temps, not the highest?  Looks like some might even be in 7b!  I can't imagine BC getting 90-100 degrees on any day!

I can't imagine that either JoAnn, but the map doesn't lie. I do believe you are correct, hardiness zones are determined by the coldest temps

Yes cold hardiness is based on coldest temperatures and is
not really a good indicator of overall climate.
It does not take into account length of winter, or length of growing season or high temps in summer, or amount of sun or cloud.

does it damage young tree's to pinch off figs?  I have several that have decided to pop out a crop of figlets.

They aren't putting on one or two, more like 10 on little 1 year plants just before winter.  Not to keen on that.  I'll follow your lead Sophie, tomorrow they come off.