perhaps let it dry out and just water the top for now as that is the importent growing part.the stem is just made up of old leaves from years gone bye . id say your soil is to damp perhaps.

the stem is virtuly dead realy. i would at least for the mean time just mist spray in the growing tip and if you can take some of the wet soil out and replace it with dry soil.

Does it have fronds at the top and was it outside all winter, unprotected?

It has great fonds and was garaged over winter months! Ive just pulled it out the pot and the soil is really moist so ive just purchased some peat free compost and some liquid food. Hopefully repotting and feeding should do the trick. I think watering alot at the base may have caused this to happen!!! Any ore advise would be appreciated thanks..

Shouldn't be watered at all at the base - method is to spray the trunk (which is where the roots are) and to pour some water in at the top of the trunk, in the hollow.

the roots at the bottom are just to keep it upright . the trunk is basicly dead . id say next year keep it in the light just fleece it or put it into a green house or conservatory .bamboo may be able to answer this for you but i believe you can cut the bottom of if its to rotton and replant the rest of it in dry compost etc .dont do it till you know and dont take my word for it .take care bye for now .

Cheers guys so by changing the soil should this sort out my problem or will i have to do anything else?

Dont know, depends how far the rot has gone - am I right in getting the impression you've been watering the soil it stands in? If so, hopefully it will sort itself out if you get rid of the wet its standing in.

can you saw some of if its to bad bamboo ?

Pass, no idea, Noseypotter. I know you can't saw anything off the top, that'll kill it, but whether you can remove some from the base, I don't know. I'd give it a shot if that's where the rot was and it wasn't getting better and the plant was dying anyway.

thats what i thaught bamboo.