Does Overcrowding Affect Growth?

Overcrowding can compromise the space that plants need for root growth. It can also decrease the amount of nutrients that any of the crowded plants can absorb from the soil, causing developmental problems in all of the plants.

What happens when plants are too crowded?

When too many plants are crowded into one area, it forces them to compete for the nutrients. Overcrowded landscapes create situations where plants are pitted against each other and forced to fight for their food, which results in unhealthy, weak plants.

Do plants grow better when they are next to each other?

Plants grow more horizontal roots when they're in the presence of "strangers," better enabling them to compete for necessary nutrients. ... "Plants have no visible sensory markers, and they can't run away from where they are planted," Bais says.