Why do houseplants need the right size pot to grow healthy, but in nature the plant is in a “pot” that is essentially infinitely huge?
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It’s a minimum amount for the plant to reach maturity.
Generally when you buy a small plant it was planted from a cutting or a seed. That’s fine for a month or two, but it needs to be planted where its roots can grow. If not, it will take up all of its space and become “root bound” which means there isn’t space for the roots to grow, and the growth of the plant is stunted.
You’ll notice when you buy garden flowers or other plants from a nursery their roots take up the whole little plastic pot so they can conserve space and put more plants on a shelf.
Most nurseries toss quite a few plants because the sale of 1 plant covers several more, and they are already root bound or near it when they arrive at the nursery.
Plants would love an infinite rich soil area to grow, but their roots will usually only go a few feet at most, so it’s not needed. Some plants love and hate other plants, so see “symbiosis” for more info there.
Potted plants therefore should have enough room for the plant to grow roots without becoming bound. They have no other plant roots to contend with, so they can grow freely and thrive.
The roots take up nutrients and water from the soil, and a root bound plant has already claimed all of the soil areas, so it cannot stretch to find more nutrients and water. That’s why you must feed your potted plants much more than you would have to if they were planted outside.
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