If you grew carrots in space, would they still be pointy?

gord

gord

gord

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Inspired by the old couple who won the Lotto who mentioned getting a gardener to tend their carrots.

"If I won the lottery, I'd have my carrots grown in space!"

This was my friends response to the news. But I question its feasibility.

There are surely limitations to what we grow in space? But with carrots the main issue would surely be pointyness?

Thoughts?
 
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Capn' $qu!ff said:
Don't forget all that radiation then your carrots will not only make you see in the dark but you'll also be able to see them in the dark thanks to a nice healthy glow!
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Along these lines, a brilliant quote in the guardian today:
The medical properties of carrots – including the boost they provide to night vision, which led to them being fed to RAF pilots during the second world war -
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/17/carrots-health-benefits-cooking

LOL
 
Focus team!

Scenario: I've got a plant pot and some water on the ISS. I plant my carrot seeds and water the soil.. which way does my carrot grow? And would it be pointy?

I believe it will still grow into the soil, but may lose its pointyness.
 
gord said:
Focus team!

Scenario: I've got a plant pot and some water on the ISS. I plant my carrot seeds and water the soil.. which way does my carrot grow? And would it be pointy?

I believe it will still grow into the soil, but may lose its pointyness.
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Indeed I think you may be mostly correct - part of the thing that you need to remember is that a carrot grows upward toward light and downward toward ground nutrient - what the effect of mavity on this is we can only postulate. My guess would be for a more bulby shape but still fundamentally up and down.

I guess this could be tested to a certain extent by trying to grow a carrot upside down with the lights at the bottom and see if it grows upward in the same manner - i.e. pointy end up and not down.

Even better you could try growing it in and hydroponic method with the lights all around it and see what happens then! (in a clear container obviously).
 
The roots are going to go to where the water is, just as the leaves are going to aim toward the light. If the water source remains in a similar location, the roots will point toward it. If the water is moved to the sides, the roots will follow. So I would say yes, it will still be pointy.

edit: beaten. :(
 
mavity wont be present to pull the water downwards though.. so the water could well be all around.. but zero mavity irrigation isnt my speciality.
 
I approve of the thread scenario. In my opinion, the carrots would grow the same though, they still want to bury down into the soil, regardless of mavity, surely?

In
 
If they are infact effected by mavity, then changing gravitational fields of a rotating space station may have unexpected side effects. You may infact end up with a carrot that has the shape of a tapered helix.
 
Messiah Khan said:
If they are infact effected by mavity, then changing gravitational fields of a rotating space station may have unexpected side effects. You may infact end up with a carrot that has the shape of a tapered helix.
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Which I feel would totally vindicate the operation and having your carrots grown in space..

Helix Carrots = Fun
 
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