Ha ha--looks like a 'midnight' collection to me. Good since you are going into winter, even a mild one I would either put in the ground till spring...your house LOL or go with a training box that will handle most of the roots. I would suggest (even though you have the itch to get going) you prune as little as possible. Dead branches and any soft or rotted roots only. Keep it in a protected area until spring then have a ball with it.

From the pics it looks like its pretty healthy.

Bob

Mr. Cutter~
Thanks for your post. I took MOST of your advice and got it back into the ground. There is quite a bit of summer left in these parts, and I'll be surprise if we even get near a freeze this winter (last year was the first one since '89). With that said, I took off a bit of root and a snitch or two off the canopy.

By 'have a ball with it,' do mean to go ahead and chop those roots all the way back to get it into a bonsai pot? Im really worried about the lack of feeders near the 'would be root ball.' I added some decent stuff to the sand in the hole I dug in the backyard and Im hoping that it will promote more feeder growth.

I'd be quite worried about the lack of fine feeder roots, too. I've worked on two gardenias, and neither of them appreciated the root-disturbance. Keep as much of the canopy for as long as possible...but anticipate some serious leaf die-back (the canopy might not make it, even if the plant survives). After root-work, I keep my plants in a shady, protected location for at least a week. I'd keep it shaded by another tree/bush or a shade-cloth. Where in the yard will this plant be recuperating?

Grit (perlite, pumice, gravel) in the planting hole will increase aeration and root-development.

Josh

thanks josh, I will try and get in there to work w/ the mix a bit here.

thanks josh, I will try and get in there to work w/ the mix a bit here.

very true guys, keep as much as possible.

Other than taking out the dead branches in the canopy I'd cut as little as possible this year. I was also thinking that the lack of fine feeder roots could mean that it was planted in a bad area, always damp or even wet?

Let it recover and grow on in the ground, see what spring brings?

Bob