its possible, but they will swell up a little as they ripen. Do you remember what they did last year. Mine seem to get to their size and stay that way for a short time and then afterwards start to ripen and swell up .
Martin

There was no last year unfortunately. The size of a quarter seems a tad small for what I've read about Italian Honey. Maybe it's not Italian Honey, or maybe they are still growing in size. I'll just have to wait and see.

Hi dieseler
When do your figs normally start ripening in your area of zone 5. I know it depends on the variety but I am asking just nominal average start time period.

Ottawan,looking at last years notes
El Sals Aug 13th ate 1st fig then until Sep 30 total 150 eaten

Chicago Hardy Sept 6th ate 1st fig then until Oct 2 total 61 eaten.

Unknown large fig Sept 16 thru Oct 5 eaten 30 figs notes said excellent melon taste,but slow to ripen.
Also my notes indicated from about Sept 12 on we had a lot of rain and the El Sals started to crack and were not as sweet, Noted the chicago hardy did not seem to be affected by the rain and had a better taste than the El Sals .
This year i will monitor fig production as well,theres another tree from Bari italy that i recieved as a stick from a friend who brought it back to me in its 3rd year and some have fell off and some are starting to turn now but they might fall off as well not sure. The other trees have not started to ripen as of yet.
Hope this helps.
Martin

Are there environmental factors that could cause the fruit to stop growing? They really haven't budged in a good while now, and aren't that large. My main two factors are high heat and a possibility of root pruning needed (though I don't think it needs it). Could nutrients be to blame? I noticed that there is just about no new green growth left. The tree is almost entirely hardened. Should I still be seeing new shoot growth?

You said there was no last year so i assume your tree is only in first or second full season if thats the case the fruit on it might just drop this year being the tree is still young its happened to me when i started out with fig trees. At the tips of the branches you should still see growth though as im in zone 5 and i see your in a slightly warmer zone and mine are still growing. Also decent soil and fertilizing once in a while will keep tree happy.
Martin

Wild Forager,

My Italian Honey seems to be behaving the same as yours. There are 45 figs on it that appear not to have changed in a month. Also, there has been no new growth since last year. It has sent up a couple of new branches from beneath the soil that have figs, (container grown).

I root pruned it last fall and repotted it. Earlier this year it had 7 brebas that were larger than usual and ripened normally but instead of being sweet and juicy as they always had been they did not taste good. Dry and tasteless. I attributed this to the bad growing weather we've had. However, the rest of my trees seem to be OK.

This has been my favorite and I don't know what has happened to it.

Peg

My Negronne in its second summer in the ground had 2 breba figs on it. They stayed the same 2/3 size green fruits for weeks, probably over a month it seems.

Just in the last week they started plumping and one of them turned purple over 2 days and was pretty good. I'm expecting the other one in the next day or two.

I'm happy now, even if the main crop doesn't ripen this year. At least I know I have a tree that makes very good figs.

I go and look at my trees everyday sometimes more than that the keaves, the figs, i grab the rim of bucket and lift slightly to see if they need water (can tell if bucket is lite or heavy)in other words i over due it as the misses says, but i'm retired so thats part of my enjoyment,even when i was not retired i always everyday look. Then i say to myself c'mon whats going on here the figs still look like there not growing or doing anything,then its that one day that ba da boom !!! All of a sudden i see a change and then i know and can relax that i know i will be eating figs for the late summer early fall season. Am i patient the answer is no so i cannot say be patient they will come around i know the feeling and hope your figs give you a good crop.
Best Health
Martin

Well, since it does seem somewhat normal I'm holding out hope. The tree actually just started making new figs at the end of each branch, so it's definately doing stuff. I figure there must be some important changes going on inside of the figs that I just can't see. I really do hope to taste something this year!

Actually I take that back. Looking at pictures of Italian honey figs, mine are so small (size of a quarter or less) that I find it hard to believe they'll reach full size any time soon even if they stay on the tree. I'm guessing they will shed at some point. There's always next year...

If they are as big as a quarter now,then that is the way they should be.
Stagnant,That is ok.
When the time comes to get ripe it will double the size in 2 days.Then you wait a little more and it will grow even more.
Then it will start getting brown spots next to eye,and will point vertical down.
Then it will start loosing some water,getting an old men skin.
And the following day you should harvest it if no wild creature got it
prior night.
And you can be sure it was ripe sweet and jucy.
Happy Gardening

Thanks Herman. I'm sure you can understand how someone who has rarely tasted a fresh fig in his life would be so eager to get some this year. I'm glad to hear what you had to say. I've just got the fever, ya know? Thanks eveyrone.

You Welcome.
I am sure,you will get ripe fruits!!!!

Herman you explained that very good, but then you mentioned old man skin. Well that phrase stuck with me today when i showered and then brought out my ole gillete double edge adjustable and before i lathered up with my ole man brush i carefully looked at my ole face , gee herman did you have to explain so well......LOL

Well I did not mention it exactly the way,it is explained by the old Folklore.
Originally it will sound"(like a old woman skin"),but if i said it, this way I will get even more Persons protesting.
Happy Gardening

True you would get more from the other side. Three words i learned to say yes dear, im sorry dear, i love you dear. This fall i wll make more room for fig trees for winter storage and maybe she wont get hit with the branches anymore, since i have a few more to put in there.
Best Health
Martin

My figs do this too. THEY WILL RIPEN! My Brown Turkey figs grow fast when they first appear, then sit and sit and sit for months, then I'll go out one day and WHERE THE HECK DID THAT COME FROM??? They swell up to more than double their size practically overnight and start to change color, then take another couple of days to ripen fully. The only time you have to worry is if cold weather is approaching and they still haven't ripened. Especially in colder zones, you may not get ripe figs until well into September. I've just harvested my first few figs (a couple of weeks earlier than last year) and if last year was any indication, can expect to harvest figs almost every day from now until late September.

Listen to Herman--it's tempting to harvest the figs too early but they will be so much better if you wait. If you're not sure, leave them on another day. The fig I left on the longest (and of course the one the birds got into) was the ripest sweetest one with the best flavor. I tend to harvest them a little too early to try to beat the birds, but if you can wait just another day or two, they will be so much better.