I bought ‘Frank’ last June and he seems to be happy but he hasn’t grown a ton and he is growing out verse up. I still have him in his original plastic pot sitting in a larger pot based off of advice I received here when I first got him. I was told to leave him in it for a year. Do you think the lack of growth is because he needs to be taken out of the smaller plastic pot and into the bigger pot he is sitting in. Also, I some fabric to help him grow vertical but is there a better way? Open to advice from the pros! (He gets a good amount of morning sun but this pic was taken in late afternoon. (Pic on left was June 2025 pic on right is today)
by Competitive-Branch65
2 Comments
Based on what I’m seeing, it’s just trying to maximize light by growing outwards. You have two windows so it will want to spread a bit.
I am not as knowledgeable as some others on sub, but it might be worth repotting. At least to see root growth and ensure an optimal soil.
If the roots aren’t very large in the pot, keep it in a similar size, if it looks root bound place it in a larger pot.
Might want a grow light if you want to see serious growth.
OMG we both have Frank figs! (Mine is posted previously if you want to see a pic.)
If your Frank were mine, I would first make sure he had big drainage holes and a nice big deep tray for water to drain out.. This is so you can give him a really good drink every time, and it will flush out salts that may be accumulating in the soil from fertilizer. Then I would slowly tighten the fabric you have there, slowly bending those two branches toward each other. Don’t be afraid to really tighten, without, of course, breaking. Then let the branches get used to that position and maybe get more solid before you tighten again. I would begin to add cloth higher on the branches too, so they get a good start going straight up. Eventually you can remove the cloth but it will take some time.
After that, it’s just feed well in spring/early summer, water deeply and then let a third of the top dry before watering again. He’s gonna go far!