In Austin, I'd wait until April 15 or later, or until it is 50 degrees or more consistently at night. Has it split yet (branched into 2-3 branches). How tall is it?

I had a similar problem last year because my plumie had gotten too tall to bring it inside for a hurricane. I cut off all the upper branches (only one had split), and just stuck them into another pot after letting them dry a couple of days. They all rooted, and the bottom, which was now about 3 ft tall, sent out new branches. The original trunk is all split up and looks horrid, so one of the new branches died. I'll probably do some major surgery on it this year.

The best way to describe the plant is to say it resembles about a three to four foot long slingshot with a curved handle. I was hoping to cut the "handle" off short enough to get rid of most of the curve so the new plant would grow more more erect than curved. Hopefully I am not being confusing