Q: Four years ago I bought two small containers of climbing fig to cover my brick chimney. In a few years it grew only a few inches. In the past summer however it took off and has runners five feet long. Why this sudden burst of energy?

A: For many vines, the rhyme: “First year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year it leaps” is an accurate description of their behavior. I believe it all hinges on how fast the roots get established so they can provide moisture and nutrients to the vine tips. Feed your creeping fig with houseplant fertilizer in April and June and look out!