Apart from Earth, Mars is known to be one of the most habitable places in our solar time. Although, the living conditions there are not exactly suitable for humans to live just yet. According to some research conducted by NASA, it was seen that Mars had oceans ages ago. So, it is not entirely impossible to make Mars a place where humans can live and plants can grow just like Earth.
Mars has been studied since 1960, where spaceships were sent by scientists to observe the red planet. There are places on Earth that can be used to carry out studies on Mars. Those places are places with harsh or uncommon conditions such as Hawaii and South America. So the big question is: can we plant trees on Mars?
Planting trees on Mars will be a difficult task though it is not impossible. The conditions necessary for tree growth are not readily available but with technological advancement, they can be improvised.
In the rest of this article, we will be explaining why we answered as such as well as give you interesting information about Mars. So, sit tight!
Can We Plant Trees On Mars?
Before delving into if we can plant trees on Mars and be assured that it will thrive, first of all, we have to understand a few things. What does a tree need to grow? Are they available on Mars?
Here are the things that are needed for plants to grow as well as their availability on Mars:
- Soil
Martian soil is the kind of soil found on Mars. It is a regolith specifically. The Martian soil is different from terrestrial soil as it is toxic. Martian soil can be referred to as the finer portion of regolith. Here on Earth, the soil can be seen to contain organic contents which are not the same as Martian soil. The soil could also contain some particles of regolith. Chlorine-based compounds were found in Martian soil and were said to be 0.5% which is a high percentage for humans.
- Water
The only form of water available on Mars is ice, and it cannot be used to grow plants. Vapour can also be seen in the atmosphere on Mars. There was formerly water on Mars billions of years ago, but currently, there is none. The surface is currently dry and almost freezing which makes it even hard for living organisms to survive.
- Light
Mars receives a little lesser than half of the sunlight that we receive here on earth. The UV and cosmic rays on Mars are also high. The thin atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide and -60°C surface temperature.
- Heat
Heat is a real problem. Mars gets a little less than half our sunlight intensity, so the heat has to be provided some other way.
- Air
The partial pressure on Mars ranges from about 2 millibars up to about 18, depending on where you are. The bottom of Hellas Planitia has the most pressure because it is the deepest, but it is also at a latitude of about 45 degrees south, so it will get a long and intensely cold winter. Space mirrors should help. To overcome the pressure, plants would have to be in pressurized domes and they would have to be made of several layers of glass.
- Nitrogen
Nitrates might suffice and there seem to be some on Mars. There is probably adequate potassium and phosphate, but there will also be sodium in excess, and that would have to be dealt with.
The conditions briefly explained and listed above are some of the necessary factors needed to grow a tree, and you can see that the majority of them are not available on Mars.
Despite these setbacks, one should always remember that there’s nothing impossible. Planting trees on Mars. is not impossible, it will only require a lot of time and hard work. One will have to make the environment on Mars ready to grow plants.
What Would Happen If You Planted A Tree On Mars?
Scientists are still looking for ways to make Mars favorable for growing trees. Growing a tree on Mars will surely fail with time. The Martian soil lacks nutrients for soil growth and the weather is too cold to grow a tree. It would be best if you start with growing some crops at first.
The first possible large plant you could plant is Bamboo. The conditions of Mars do not affect Bamboos because the Martian soil serves as a support for them, and it doesn’t need enough nutrients for it to grow.
An alternative to growing trees on Mars could be synthetic biology in which a Mars Biofoundry will be built to support the growth of trees and different crops. A facility like this would not see Martian conditions as a hindrance to plant life.
What Kind Of Plants Can Grow On Mars?
Based on some experiments carried out using the simulated lunar and Martian regolith obtained from NASA to identify which plants can thrive when grown on Mars soil, it was proposed that the major difference between Mars soil and Earth soil is that Mars soil has double the iron as Earth soil and Earth soil is more organic than Mars soil. The only difference between the soil used for testing and the real Mars soil is the absence of some poisonous perchlorates.
To ensure that all the plants were able to grow, the simulated lunar and Martian regolith that was obtained from NASA was mixed with some organic matter. Due to the dryness of the Martian soil, the Mars soil that was planted in was regularly watered to ensure it remains moist and in a good condition for all plants to thrive.
Here are some plants that can be confidently planted on Mars and you’d be sure they will flourish:
- Kale
- Carrots
- Garden cress
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Dandelions
- Hops
- Pea
- Rye
- Quinoa
- Radish
- Tomatoes
- Chives
- Leek
With the numerous experiments that have been conducted to see how well plants can grow on Mars soil, there have always been some minor hitches. For instance, lettuce is grown on Mars-like soil simulant although when compared to the ones grown on Earth soil looks the same, has no added nutrients, and tastes the same. But, the lettuce grown on Mars-like soil simulant had weaker roots and the rate of its germination was slower.
Conclusion
Whoever plans on living on Mars has to think of what to eat and the idea of growing the food that you will be needing on the extraterrestrial soil will make things a lot easier.
Over the years, a lot of research has been conducted to figure out if one can plant trees on Mars even with the presence of some poisonous perchlorates in the soil. After thorough research, we have come to the conclusion that one can indeed grow plants on Mars but you should be ready to work hard before you can start seeing some of the fruits of your labor. Growing plants on Mars is indeed difficult but it is not impossible.