How can ‘over-potting’ be a thing when plants grow straight from the Earth’s surface with infinite amounts of soil available?

Question

How can ‘over-potting’ be a thing when plants grow straight from the Earth’s surface with infinite amounts of soil available?

In: 1858

Answer 1

There is “infinite soil,” but there aren’t infinite nutrients for the plants *within* that soil. Too many plants drawing nutrients from the soil is like three people drinking from straws out of a single drink. Eventually the drink is empty and no one is particularly satisfied.