Anthony Brach, PhD
Missouri Botanical Garden
c/o Harvard University Herbaria
There are a number of reasons why the amount of soil hurts the growth
of a plant. (1) The amount of soil affects the moisture content. This
can cause microbes, fungus, and other undesirable growths. The soil
can also can also affect the oxygen that reaches the plant roots. (2)
The packing of the soil can also be a problem. It is difficult to
separate all of these factors because it also depends on what plant
you are referring to.
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