I planted a 'Crookstem' Bamboo in my yard about 4 weeks ago. Being that crookstems are 'running' bamboos, I installed one of those rhizome barriers around it in an effort to prevent the rhizomes from shooting out all over the place. I'm sure the barrier will do a great job at containing that shoots, but the problem is that it's also inadvertently functioning as a water barrier (or dam). Since the barrier is shaped as a cylinder going 2feet into the ground encircling the plant, when water enters into the barrier it can only travel in one direction: DOWN. It can't travel sideways. The water has to travel 2feet down into the ground, and then out and underneath the barrier. The problem that I've been having is that the soil around the plant is now very soggy all the time. I don't even have to water it because it's literally ALWAYS wet (and we've had a lot of 90 degree hot days this summer! It's only been about a month since the plant has been in the ground, but it still looks healthy, so I'm not sure if I should be concerned. I know that some plants can still thrive in boggy/soggy soil conditions. I just don't know if this particular bamboo is one of those plants. I'm wondering if I'm better off just returning the plant for a 'clumping' bamboo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Bobby