Do not grow spinach on Mars!
Researchers at NASA used their best geochemical data to produce a simulant of Martian soil. Botanists then planted seeds of 10 popular food species: garden cress, rocket, tomato, radish, rye, quinoa, spinach, chives, pea and leek.
Surprisingly, the results were good. Most of the “Martian plants” shot up with only slightly less vigour than the Earthly control group.
The exception was spinach.
“We were able to harvest radishes and radish seeds, cress and cress seeds, rye seeds, rocket, tomatoes and peas on Mars,” the researchers write.
The chives and leeks, in contrast, grew rather feebly in the simulant, while quinoa grew “well and formed flowers, but did not form any seeds”.
This possibly means that any future Mars settlement will be quinoa- and spinach-free. Is it good news or bad news for you?
