centaura

The benefit of keeping it in a pot is that the roots are forced to grow sideways, verses growing downwards, and that pushes them up to the soil level at the base of the tree, expanding the nebari. Having the tree in the ground and cutting around it with a shovel discourages those radial roots by encouraging down-ward growing roots.

Now, everyone who is suggesting putting the tree into the ground again for more ground is right on the fact that it will get you more growth faster, but I was just pointing out that it will delay the start of nebari development. Its going to take about equal amount of time to refine both the top and the nebari. Yes, keeping it in a pot will not give you as much top growth, but I feel that the chance to work the whole tree at the same time outweighs the benefit of getting rampant top growth and then coming back for root work. One of the people I respect most in the bonsai world is adamantly against putting things into the ground, because the growth you get is so wild and course. I don't think that I lean that far, but I am of the school that once its out of the ground I tend to leave it out of the ground. Personal preference.

Other than that, I think its a great find - to start with a trunk of that girth is already two steps in the right direction.

-Centaura