Yes - that's what I would do. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to give you the impression you did something 'wrong'. I'm glad you figured it out on your own. Being root bound is limiting, but it's not something you'd consider immediately life threatening. A rootbound ficus doesn't crash like some plants, it just slowly declines with a little pick-me-up each time it's potted up. I think it's better to be patient & suffer some limitation associated with root congestion than pot up just before winter and maybe risk some root issues if you're not really careful. Al

I agree with Dan. Buy a 1/4 or 5/16" wooden dowel rod from hardware/big box store, cut it in half, and sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener. Push it into the soil all the way to the bottom of the pot near the center. Don't water until it first comes out clean and dry. If you're watering when only the top inch is dry, there could still be several inches of 100% saturated soil at the bottom of the pot, inhibiting root function or wrecking root health. Al

Hi, **Definitely get it away from the AC vent ASAP! The cold/dry air is not good for the plant. I've read stories of FLF losing all leaves due to proximity to vents.** 1. Don't water it again until the soil looks very dry. The timing of watering varies for each individual plant/situation. For reference, I water thoroughly once every three weeks or so. But for you, don't water until you can feel into the soil maybe an inch deep and it feels bone dry. 2. Unless you see signs of infestation, don't worry about it. The leaves with brown spots may be just shocked or unhappy, not infested. I had old leaves with brown, dry portions too, and they never affected the new leaves once the plant got happy again. 3. Keep away from the vent! FLF don't like being moved much, but moving to the north-facing window with less light is, to me, the lesser of two evils. 4. Don't worry about that too much, the older leaves fold and get crunchy sometimes. FLF like humidity, so maybe the older leaves were responding to dry air. Your newer leaves look good though. 5. Yes, misting the plant can help if the air is dry. I've got mine in a humid climate, so I've never used a mister. Maybe do a search to see how often people recommend. Or, look into a humidifier. 6. I would think a south-facing window is the best, and I have mine in a SE facing window and it's doing fantastic. But if you can't keep it in that spot without being next to the vent, I'd definitely move it away from that vent even if you have to give it less sun. Hope that helps!

Most of the post in this forum are about fruit bearing figs which are the kind I grow. That said, your plant doesn't look bad at all to me. Sometimes plants are just fickle and grow oddly. Have you checked it for insects? Have you thought about putting it outside, of course not in direct sunlight, but at least where it can get some summer warmth. I can't advise you on pruning it, but some of the people around here know all kinds of plants so it might be a while before you get one of them to respond. Hope it works out.