If a blade of grass was planted on Mars, would it grow?

Answer 1

A blade of regular, garden variety grass taken to Mars and planted would die, and in a big way. The temperatures rarely get above freezing on Mars, so the water contained in the grass blade would freeze solid. The ice crystals would damage the plant tissue so that whenever it was thawed, it would be dead.

The soil is an even worse problem. It is actually sterile and would be poisonous to plant life. Even if not poisonous, it lacks any sort of nitrogen and other nutrients the grass would need to survive.

If Mars were habitable enough that common Earth plants could survive when planted there, then we'd probably already have a colony there.

This doesn't mean that there can't be plants though. We would have to genetically engineer a plant species that actually requires the conditions found on Mars. This is one step in several proposed methods of 'teraforming' the planet Mars; of making its environment into one similar to that found on Earth, allowing casual habitation of the planet without the need for airtight habitats, space suits, etc.

Such plants would have to be able to resist being frozen, need very little water, and metabolize elements common on Mars in order to live. Yes, there IS water on Mars, people. The surface of the planet is periodically frosted with water/co2 ice in winter. On Earth, desert plants survive with very infrequent waterings. Being a dry, scraggly plant that needs little to no water would be quite an advantage on Mars.

A seemingly excellent Earth plant species to use as a basis for a hardy Martion plant would be lichens like those found in the Arctic tundra. Those are already well adapted to survive in a deep freeze. They would have to adapt it to the other nasty conditions up there, but it would be easier than starting with begonias. Interestingly, once designed, such a plant would actually find EARTH to be a hostile, uninhabitable world.

Anyway, your original question wasn't about a genetically engineered plant - it was about grass, which definitely wouldn't live on Mars. It seems hard enough to most people to make it thrive right here on Earth in their own lawns! ;)

Answer 2

No. The air is way too thin, as good as a rough vacuum on Earth. Also it is too cold, grass needs warm temperatures and will not grow on Earth in winter. And finally, the soil on Mars is extremely caustic. If Martian soil were brought to Earth in a pot, any grass planted in that pot would be poisoned by the Martian soil.

Answer 3

My adventure has been that St. Augustine grass has long runners which may well be decrease off or pulled up and planted. Bermuda grass additionally has long runners which may well be planted. the two will might desire to be watered nicely till they're prevalent. Blades of grass, it is what you have on your grass catcher, won't root. I have not have been given any adventure with using seed for growing to be grass.

Answer 4

No because Mars can't support life. It's too hot in the day and too cold in the night. There is no water on Mars so it's can't grow. And it's atmosphere is to thin so asteroids can crash on the planet. Plants all need carbon to grow and there is no carbon on Mars.

Hi!

Answer 5

Most5 likely not but I have taken some dirt from Mars on one of our exploration and taken it to earth and planted a rare plant I forgot the name and that plant grew up so wicked it look like it wanted to kill me it had a evil stringy look of injustice done to it. Some other space explorers did the same and said the plants turn carnivorus and try to kill them. He assorted it to a lack of something in the soil starve the plant and it tried to make up for it by strangling the botanist.

Answer 6

technically, it could if kept in the right conditions or if it was genetically engineered to grow in extreme conditions with little to no water. Plants also make their own energy from sunlight through photosynthesis. Theres also plenty of Co2 on mars for plants to breathe. They would eventually convert the air on mars to resemble ours after a long period of time.

Answer 7

With out a magnetic field the planet is naked to solar radiation, which have been sterilizing the surface over millions of years. Nothing will grow, sorry!

Answer 8

If you gave it good earth soil, water, air with carbon dioxide, heat and air conditioning so the temp isn't too extreme, and shielding from the radiation (but not too much--it needs light), then sure, it will grow.

Answer 9

Nope -- too darn cold, basically no atmosphere and deadly radiation because of no magnetic field plus there's probably no nutrition in the soil.

Answer 10

No. Too cold at night. Too hot during the day. Not enough water.