My four year old Kadota has been in the ground 18 months and has about 300 figs on it.   It's a large (for it's age) healthy looking tree.  Main trunk is all ready 3 inches thick and it has four main branches about six feet long.

I'm in Arizona, this is the first main crop, and the figs are about half way to maturity.

Should I thin the fruit, or just let it go?  

I would

Celt, you would what?  300 is a lot of figs.  There is much talk about too many figs reducing the cold hardiness of the tree.  I have not experienced this but a few seasoned vets on the forums have.

I pulled off maybe a third of the fruit this afternoon, but the tree is still loaded.   Not sure if or how much or to just leave it alone.   

That's a lot of figs I would take some off. I don't know about cold hardiness but fruit quality will suffer

when pulling, i would pull those farthest from the roots.  i realize nobody has said this yet, which is why i'm saying it.

the principle is simple:  for the fruit you want to keep, you want the shortest nutrient and uptake path to the fruit, and the fruit closest to the main trunk and closest to the roots is going to give you that.

I don't know why you need to pull figs and all..
I was thinking about it for a some time now..
Nature is a very smart..So, I think if tree can't keep them all, tree will loses some on they own..
Also, I was thinking about pulling figs from a young trees..I think if you don't got them gust with feeding, but plant kind decide it on his own to get a fruit.. Why not???
I all the time watching my fruit trees.. They do it on they own..
And I real don't try to force them to get fruit, but each year I see more and more fruit stay on trees before I pick them up...to eat..

Unless you are near Flagstaff any other place in Arizona would be an ideal place for long hot Summers. O.K., We'll make an acception to Wilcox. It is so and so. I myself would have left them alone and let them ripen one at a time.

You have at least another four or five hot months ahead of you. Plenty of time for them to ripen.
Not knocking on you my friend, just my 2 cents.

Nonetheless,
Sound like you have a winner of a tree.

Good luck

Thanks for all the input.  Olga, I was thinking less fruit = larger and better fruit.  This has worked for me with nectarines and peaches.

Wish I had waited a little. What Jason says makes sense too.   But there are still lots of figs left on that tree.

And Rafed well...we're in Lake Havasu.  Plenty of heat here.  We've allready had several days over 100 degrees, and will be seeing daytime temps over 110 soon.
 
The VDB's and the missions are also looking pretty good right now as well. Just not as prolific.

Thanks to all for your advice.

Centurion,

Your place reminds of a Desert Oasis. If fact I think it is.
I have passed by there many times.

One of few places in the Country were your can fry an egg on the road pavement at Midnight.

Yup.  You can do that here, rafed. 

Next time you're out this way, get a hold of me.  We'll give you the tour.

Hi Dave, I reaped a lot of figs from my 2 Kadota trees last year, no fertilizer, and now it's giving me some nice breba figs to start the season with on both
trees, this kind of tree is very hardy and special that way, it will ripen every fig until
the warm season lasts. Trees are in ground, enjoy, Sergio in NJ.

Thanks Sergio.  Are your brebas good?  This kadota is a young tree, but last season and this season as well...brebas were dry and pithy.

Hi Dave, the brebas were just as good as the figs, nothing like you described.
It may need a year or two more to iron out the wrinkles, don't give up on it,
mine is at least 8 years old, enjoy, Sergio in NJ.