Bringing Mars to Earth

Thanks to research from rovers such as Curiosity, Perseverance, and so on, scientists have been able to simulate Martian soil. This gives botanists and other scientists the ability to experiment and research the composition, characteristics, and challenges of growing plants on Mars.

I have been able to obtain some soil and have been attempting to grow cucumbers.

See the growth

Challenges & making growth

  • Lacking nutrients.

    Earth’s plants rely on 5 macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Without all 5 of these macronutrients, the plant will fail to thrive. According to recent studies from NASA’s rovers, Mars has some of these nutrients, but it doesn’t seem to be biologically available. Additionally, the simulated soil lacks all the main nutrients, which is why I believe the pots that have some earthen soil incorporated will do well, as these will have the nutrients the plants on Earth consume.

  • Holding water.

    Martian soil is incredibly clay-like. Due to this, water logging is a major issue. Water logging is where the soil holds the water and inevitably drowns the plant. To avoid this issue, I am going to water them by using a spray bottle instead of a drip system. Drip systems are used more in sandy or a mix of sandy and clay soil, as it ensures the plant gets water but not so much that the water puddles or overwaters the plant.

    The spray method waters the plant directly and avoids putting too much water in the soil while keeping the plant and its roots moist.

  • Growing it.

    Starting on April 17, I have begun to grow my cucumbers. I picked an organic cucumber from Vons, took about 10 good seeds and used the towel method to start growing them. I then transferred my seeds to their designated pot. Pot 1 is 100% Martian soil, then pot 2 is 25% Earth. I continued to add more Earthen soil, 25% at a time, until Pot 5, which is 100% Earthen soil.

    I predict pot 3 and 4, with 50% Martian soil/50% Earthen soil and 75% Earthen soil/25% Martian soil, will be the most successful due to the composition and characteristics as the acidity from the Martian soil will be more ideal for cucumbers, as they like more acidic soil, and the clay characteristic of Martian soil combined with the sandy consistency of Earthen soil will hopefully create a damp environment that continues to drain well.

    To promote drainage and avoid waterlogging, I am using the French drainage system, which includes placing rocks at the bottom of the pot to give water the capability to drain.