Hi all. I was lucky enough to get a large species of bamboo from a neighbor (5" wide stalk - got a 6' piece with a new culm coming out). However, the plant was dug from the ground and left on the side of the house for 2 days. When I got it, the leaves were curled up but still green. I put it in a large container with water and let it soak up the water overnight. The next day I planted it in an area of the yard that slopes down and has clay soil amended with 25 % compost. I staked the bamboo with twine because winds were toppling it down.

The first week it did fine- I watered it every day and the plant looked great. The second week I noticed that the leaves had started to curl although it had rained for several days. I also noticed that the ground was sopping wet. I have been watching it for the last 3 days and the leaf curling has not gone away despite constant rain. Today, I dug it out and when I did there was a huge sucking sound from the ground and an acid smell from the soil. When I took a closer look at the bamboo stalk, I saw that it was starting to turn brown-black in places. So, I dug it out and put it in a 45 gal pot (without a bottom) filled with compost half-buried in the ground. I am hoping that by raising it there will be better drainage. I can't keep it in a pot because it is just too big but I was trying to save it from drowning in that clay soil.

What else can I do? Is it going to die? Is that acid-sour smell from root rot?

I'll be sooooo sad if she doesn't make it! Boo hoo!