Ficus which are victims of success

[Tracy]

I have a couple of Ficus which I have been growing in pots.  One is in a 10 gallon plastic pot that I placed inside a decorative ceramic pot on some bricks to raise it up and the other is in a smaller ceramic pot.  After a rainy period, I noticed my Ficus socatrana in the 10 gallon pot, sitting on bricks inside a larger ceramic pot, has the same problem now as my Ficus abutifolia which is the one planted directly in a ceramic pot.  Both have roots which now plug the bottoms of the ceramic pots, so won't drain water.  I knew that the larger Ficus socatrana had roots that escaped both its pots a long time ago.  Most of its nutrients are now from its escaped roots in fact.

First up is the Ficus socatrana,  growing in standing water outside its 10 gallon pot.  SInce the roots are attached to the pavers below and then go into the ground, I can't tilt the pot to empty it and the root going out the bottom has completely filled the hole in the ceramic pot.

[Tracy]

The Ficus abutifolia is pictured below.  It too is showing the pots inability to drain water due to the roots having expanded to the size in the bottom of the pot.  The pot is also sitting on some blocks so that the bottom of the pot doesn't actually sit on the ground where the drain hole is located.

Success growing has created a bit of a dilemma for me.   I already have one Ficus socatrana in the ground 

[happypalms]

Plant them next to the neighbours sewerage pipes if they give you any troubles. Here’s an interesting ficus pseudopalma for you in my garden.