It shouldn't be a problem. Because of their banyan habit it's normal for them to have some exposed roots. Given good light and right conditions they can grow into quite a large tree.

I'd plan on repotting it into a soil that allows you to water to beyond saturation at will w/o penalty in June, if you're in the US or Northern Hemisphere.

You would do well to insert a wick through a drain hole and water your plant at the sink so you're flushing the soil when you water. After watering, tip the pot at a steep angle with the wick hanging down into the sink. You'll get a combination of B+E below, so much of the excess water that will want to remain in the soil will be removed.

You learn by asking questions, so don't be bashful.

Al

Al

Thank you, Al @tapla. I read your articles pertaining to plants in containers, ficus plants in general, and much more advice you have given other growers. I have to say thank you for your extremely detailed advice, because it's hard to find anywhere else on the internet!

When I water my plants (ficus lyrata and ZZ plant), I typically do B in the diagram above to ensure i'm getting as much excess water out as possible. However, I'm a little confused about how to set up the wick trick. Could you explain how I should do that when it's time to repot?

Also, I just bought Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro 9-3-6 and was wondering if it would be safe to use that next time I water? Since it's mid-winter, the last thing I want is leaf/root burn. I also use the wooden dowel method and the stick was dirty about an inch and a half up the stick but the remaining portion was dry and clean. Should I water when the whole stick is clean and dry? Just wanted to clarify that so I don't kill my plant! Thank you so much again!

I use a piece of mop strand from a 100% rayon mop head. For existing plants, simply fold the strand over the tip of a straight-slot screwdriver and use the driver to push the wick into the soil. If your pot is plastic, heat the head of a 8 or 10D nail and melt it through the pot. Tie a knot in the mop strand and that will keep it from slipping through the hole. The best place for the hole is through the bottom at the edge where the bottom & wall meets so you can tip the pot so the wick is at the lowest point.

How you should fertilize depends on how you water. I fertilize at 1/4 tsp 9-3-6 per gallon of water every time I water in winter, and usually 2 tsp per gallon when summer temps favor good growth. I can do this because my soils are always getting flushed well. If you use a soil that requires you water in sips, you need to develop a strategy that allows you to flush the soil intermittently through the winter - maybe 3 times between Oct 1st and May 1st.

When using the dowel to test for moisture, imagine you're testing the soil every day. You want to water on the first day the dowel comes out dry. You still have a couple of days of cushion because the plant can still absorb some moisture when the soil feels dry to the touch. You can create the same drought stress by under-watering that you create by over-watering, so don't move from a stress-causing extreme on one end of the spectrum to its counterpart that causes the same stress on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Al