As someone who root prunes EVERYTHING (except mayyyybe edibles, but that depends) if it's been in a pot for more than a year or two, I think your plant will be fine. If you take off that much of the bottom and leave the whole top, some suffering is to be expected. :) When I first joined GW, it took me a couple of WEEKS to understand what Al was talking about lol. But then I did, and then I seriously repotted every single one of my plants into GM OR 5-1-1 over the course of a couple of days with no regard for weather or season, haha. A few plants did what yours is doing...."OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO ME," and others shined from minute one, but I didn't lose a single plant to the business. I had one croton that quite literally flopped over immediately that Al had me bag (since it was small), to increase the humidity to and even that came back. And don't be hard on yourself. I had been gardening for years when I first came on board with GM so it wasn't like I didn't have "experience," and had no idea I was doing anything wrong; just thought a 50% survival rate was normal, lol. I expected and hoped for slightly better but it's basically 100% success at this point with anything I put into a gritty mix of some sort. I can't quite say the same for things I still use regular mix for, like veggies, but it is really up there in that case, too(say, 85% lol), just because I understand more about a plant and the root system, though water movement is still not checked off solely because there is too much to read, haha. Here was my first foray into gritty mix. Hope it helps! http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1378652/taking-on-gritty-mix

Does the pot have drainage? It could be too much water AND/OR too low humidity. Did the drying start from the top or the bottom? If it started from the bottom it is too much water, from the top, too little water. I would say the pot is suspect and you are watering too much. Humidity is also a contributing factor, if the humidity is too low in side plants can expel more water through the normal plant processes than they can absorb through the soil. With too much water in the soil, the roots will begin to rot, compounding the problem. If the plant does not have drainage, I would lay the whole plant, pot and all on its side and see if there is any run off, then I would let it dry out for a couple of days then repot it in another pot with better drainage. I would also move it away from any drafts or heater elements.

The vitality level of the plant is low, as you already know. Are you sure the plant was neglected, rather than over-tended? Over-watering is a likely cause of the plant's weak state ....... but let's not dwell on how the plant got to the state it's in. We can tell by the thin stems that the plant has been grown for a long time in light conditions much lower than it would prefer. Light alone would account for its weakened state, and would be very high on the list of cultural conditions needing improvement. In the end, how well your plants grow and your/our/my proficiency as a grower will be determined by how well you identify and eliminate cultural limitations - nothing more. I'll link you to a thread I recently posted that discusses what cultural influences usually cause severe decline & how to reverse it. More light, some outdoor time, a repotting that eases root congestion and repotting into a soil that allows you to water correctly, along with keeping your watering under control and getting a sound nutritional supplementation program in place, are the keys from this grower's perspective, and I try very hard to look at every situation from the plant's POV, not the growers. If you're willing to put a plan in motion & stick to it, you can have the plant turned around by summer's end. If you have interest, follow this link and read the info provided. If you have questions, please ask. Al

Dave I'm not having any watering problem with the plant, the pictures above are how the plant came as purchased. The pot that it was originally in was a 10 inch it's now in a 16 inch, it's a black plastic pot like the one in the picture with a watering tray underneath inside a basket. And also it was a complete repot, cleared roots and all new soil. I've been using this soil "recipe" for years and I think my plants enjoy a little compost mixed in occasionally and never had a issue with it.