Chinese pistache chop?

[oKANGAROUXo]

Howdy y'all!

I got a bonsai starter kit for my recent birthday and am germinating my first seeds. Yay!

However... I have a 5 foot tall Chinese pistache in a 5 gallon pot that I got for free at a street fair around 5 or 6 years ago. It was just a little twig back then. I live in Oregon (Portland) and love my little tree; I bring it in my living room every winter.

But my cute little tree keeps growing about a foot each year and I'm wondering what the heck I'm going to do with a freaking tree in my apartment, so I thought... maybe I could make it a bonsai? I know nothing about bonsais. Would it be safe to chop it between 2.5 and 3 feet or is that going to kill it? When would I do that? A few days ago I put her back onto the balcony as it's around 36⁰ at night and warming up.

I'm not very interested in trying to shape it all fancy, I just want it to be smaller and more manageable like a big houseplant so I can continue to move it around with me. After years of babying "home tree", I would hate if I killed it. Chopping it literally in half! Thoughts? Advice? Thank you!!!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

If there are live branches below the position where you want to chop it, go ahead!

 

[penumbra]

I have a few of these outside in pots. When I chopped them they responded by suckering many sprouts from the roots.
You know these belong outside all year long. I am surprised yours has lived.

 

[Michael P]

I am surprised Chinese pistache is not cold hardy in Oregon, are you in the mountains?

 

[penumbra]

I am surprised Chinese pistache is not cold hardy in Oregon, are you in the mountains?

I am in zone 6 and they are hardy here in pots.

 

[Sagebrush]

I have a couple volunteers growing against a rock wall. One is quite tall. I noticed some coming up in the yard and thought it was from seed. Tried to transplant a few and discovered they weren't from seed but shoots sent up from shallow roots. Managed to cut some roots on these and successfully got them to grow in pots. I am wondering if they they would produce their own forest grouping from a single tree over a number if years?

 

[oKANGAROUXo]

I have a few of these outside in pots. When I chopped them they responded by suckering many sprouts from the roots.
You know these belong outside all year long. I am surprised yours has lived.

Haha yes I know they belong outside year round. I'm in PDX. I worry about it's roots freezing when it's 17⁰ outside so I bring it right inside the door of my covered balcony. Hasn't died yet!