Crowded plants are less vigorous than well-spaced ones, whether you’re talking about flowers, vegetables, perennials, trees, shrubs, or grasses. If we plant new shrubs close enough to look full, as they mature they’ll become stressed because they struggle to compete for resources.
Similarly, as each grass seed germinates, it starts as one very thin blade but as the plant matures, it puts out many more blades, each wider than the last and taking up much more space. The purpose of these blades is only to intercept sunlight and thereby make food for the plant so they need their space.
So, if we plant too thickly, for a full look, there won’t be enough room for each plant to spread out and get the food it needs to grow well. The plants will stress, and that means they’re prime targets for infection.
We live in a climate that’s already rife with fungal and bacterial diseases. When a plant is stressed, it becomes an unnecessary invitation to attack.
Therefore, we seed lighter than most homeowners are used to. After the first seeding, we come back and add more seed as needed if weather conditions have not been right for maximum germination.
The alternative would be to seed heavily, then return to add chemicals to your soil in the form of fungicides — not good practice and definitely more expensive for homeowners.
