Tomatoes in Antarctica

[Hatgirl]

At the Neumayer Station III in Antarctica, they have set up a high-tech growing area as part of the Eden ISS project. The idea behind the project is that if they can learn how to grow plants in hostile Antarctica, it will be the first step towards growing them on the Moon and Mars. They have just harvested their first salad and cucumbers.

According to a comment on their Facebook page "We grow different types of dwarf tomatoes. One has red fruits and goes by the number breed number F1 1202 and one has orange fruits and has the number F1 3469B." I have looked them up and F1 1202 is released by Vreugdenhil in the Nethelands.

Their Facebook page has a video (in German) of their growing setup

[NarnianGarden]

I suppose they have heated greenhouses...

[Al@NC]

That's pretty cool..

[Andrey_BY]

We have already a very successful example of growing tomatoes in Alaska by AKMark and our two supertomato girls)
And these news also reminds me The Martian movie with Matt Damon growing potatoes on Mars)))

[Cole_Robbie]

We should send them some seeds, so they can grow varieties that taste better.

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

We should send them some seeds, so they can grow varieties that taste better.

Hahahaha! True :-)

[Nan_PA_6b]

So which dwarfs produce well under lights?

Nan

[Hatgirl]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

So which dwarfs produce well under lights?

Nan

Pretty much all of them, except those with the sundwarf gene like Tiny Tim and Patio Orange, they undergo etiolation.

[SpookyShoe]

Originally Posted by Hatgirl

Pretty much all of them, except those with the sundwarf gene like Tiny Tim and Patio Orange, they undergo etiolation.

Knew etiology, wasn't sure about etiolation.

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

[bower]

Gotta have tomatoes to go with their big lettuce! I saw that one on the news.
Wouldn't it be awful if the tomatoes grown in space were not nice ones.

[hl2601]

In space I think you might be grateful for anything fresh you could get! Maybe send along some micro multiflora Dan Follett?? Conserving space in space would be a good thing HA!

[Nan_PA_6b]

What would be best in space? Hydroponics?

Nan

[Hatgirl]

On the International Space Station at the moment they are growing Outredgious red lettuce in a hydroponics unit. They will be starting to grow tomatoes at the end of this year - specifically the micro Red Robin

[Nan_PA_6b]

I'd love to see the growth habit on a zero-G tomato.

Nan