Horticulture Day discusses climate change and the upcoming growing season

WASECA, Minn. (KEYC) — In preparation for spring, gardeners visited the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center on Friday for Horticulture Day.

The Waseca-based research center presented several topics to gardeners, including climate change and how to adapt gardening practices to fit the changing climate.

Horticulture Day prepares growers of fruits and vegetables, trees and shrubs, and organizers said it provides added excitement for the upcoming growing season.

“Long term, it’s getting warmer, night temperatures especially in the winter, we’re having an earlier last spring frost, we’re having more rain, especially since the ’90s, starting in the ’90s we’ve had a lot more rain, heavier rainfall events, those are some of the things people have to deal with,” said Charlie Rohwer, scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center.

The research center has had an active weather station since 1915, allowing them to track long-term weather trends in the area.

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