You have a nice healthy plant there. I deprive my plants of light and only water either very lightly or not at all until spring. I cut my plants back to 6"-8" but I start them early in my greenhouse. You might want to leave 2 or 3 shoots on your plant to get a headstart in the spring. In the ground it will probably kick butt next year. You can strip the leaves off or they will fall off by themselves. Good luck.
Bill

You do not need to cut it back. Some of it will likely die back on its own during dormancy, especially the most herbaceous parts near the stem tips.

In the spring, you can cut it back to where the stems are still living (it should be pretty easy to see because it forms a clear line) and that way you get the most possible size out of it.

I think that when the plant "decides" to sacrifice a portion of itself and die back, it can bring back some of the stored energy in that portion of the stem and so it dies back less overall if you let it do that.

Ok. So based on your opinions:

My Plan:

1. Bring entire plant into basement.
2. Find a dark corner to stick it in. (Need to hide from cats).
3. Maybe water once per month?
4. Don't be concerned when it starts to die back.
5. Cut dead portions back to where it is still alive
6. Move outdoors and plant!!!!

It has been cold the last couple of nights. I brought it into my breezeway anyway, but no frost yet. This weekend it is supposed to hit the 80's w/ sun. Shall I leave it out in the sun all weekend for more growth? Or should I avoid this and bring it down into the basement to avoid the warm waether & sun this weekend?

Ruby, you have been given good advise in the above posts.
*If* you choose to cut your Brug back, you can root the parts you cut off. I have circled the white nubs on a few of your stems, those are pre-Lencil roots, they will grow linger and form proper roots once placed in water.
{{gwi:568601}}

The best one to try rooting is the one growing up from below the soil, it likely will grow straight up and become tall before it forms a Y, giving you the best chance at the tree form of a plant.

Another year, if you plan on placing your plants into dormancy, stop fertilizing them before the end of August and reduce the watering as well. This allows the newest, most tender green growth to harden off a little before you ask it to quit growing. This helps reduce the die back on your shoots. Just darkness isn't all that is optimal for dormancy, you also want it to be cool as well, about 50F or 10C is ideal if you can manage it.

If you are able to wake them up in March and get them growing, if you can see your way clear to plant them in the ground rather than keeping them in pots, you will have far better success with them, then you pot them again in the fall for over their winter dormancy period. I have done them this way for almost 15 years and the old timers in this site will vouch for my ability.

Personally I cut ALL the leaves off mine and down to about 6-8" and spray real good with soapy water...If you leave the leaves on, you take a HUGE risk of those NASTY mites getting everywhere :(