Shane Bugeja
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Articles by Shane Bugeja
Soil Health Practices and Decision Drivers on Diversified Vegetable Farms in Minnesota
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Le Sueur County Extension: An Extension farewell
After seven years as an Extension educator in Blue Earth and Le Sueur counties, I will be stepping down in early September. kAmx H:== DE:== =:G6 2?5 H@C< :? E96 2C62[ D@ E92?<7F==J x H:== ?@E 36 72C 2H2J 7C@> 4@==628F6D 2?5 7C:6?5D] %9:D H2D >J 7:CDE ;@3 @FE @7 8C25F2E6 D49@@=[ 2?5 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ =:<65 “2== E96 E9:?8D[” :E H2D 2? 2>2K:?8 7:E] x 4@F=5 36 96=A:?8 5:28?@D6 96C3:4:56 42CCJ@G6C :?;FCJ :? D@J362?D E96? >2<:?8 2 9@FD6 G:D:E 7@C 2 D:4< >2A=6 @C 2 3=:89EJ E@>2E@ — 2== :?
What really is 'black dirt'?
Usually about once a month, I will be talking with a client who says “black dirt” when describing their soil. Dirt is “soil out of place” in my mind, and so I actively avoid using the word. But to normal people, “black dirt” can mean many things. kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ x 7@F?5 EH@ 5C2DE:42==J 5:776C6?E C676C6?46D E@ “3=24< 5:CE” @? pD< tIE6?D:@?’D @?=:?6 BF6DE:@? 2?5 2?DH6C A286]k^Am kAm“}6H =2H? H2D AFE :?
Le Sueur County Extension: What really is 'black dirt'?
Usually about once a month, I will be talking with a client who says “black dirt” when describing their soil. Dirt is “soil out of place” in my mind, and so I actively avoid using the word. But to normal people, “black dirt” can mean many things. kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ x 7@F?5 EH@ 5C2DE:42==J 5:776C6?E C676C6?46D E@ “3=24< 5:CE” @? pD< tIE6?D:@?’D @?=:?6 BF6DE:@? 2?5 2?DH6C A286]k^Am kAm“}6H =2H? H2D AFE :?
Le Sueur County Extension: Emerald ash borer treatments, pollinator tips
With this record warm winter, emerald ash borer thrived. It was especially upsetting to see this devastating insect found up near Chippewa National Forest. Usually, cold weather can protect the millions of black ash in northern Minnesota. This year, only 5-10% of ash borers might have died due to cold up there. No place is safe. kAmr=@D6C E@ 9@>6[ >2?J 7@=<D >2J 36 E9:?<:?8 23@FE EC62E:?8 E96:C 962=E9J 2D9 EC66D] pC@F?5 pAC:= @C |2J[ A6@A=6 2AA=J :?D64E:4:56D] %96D6 AC@5F4ED 42?
Le Sueur County Extension: Are trees 'chilling out' in this warm winter?
Driven in part by an intense El Nino, this winter has been exceptionally warm. So warm that maple trees are being tapped, gardeners are seeing asparagus emerge, and boxelder bugs begin to annoy again. As I am a “tree guy”, I get asked about the effect of this surreal weather on woody plants—especially apples. Will they bloom too early? Too late? A lot depends on how the rest of this winter goes, and whether they are “chill” enough. kAmx?
Le Sueur County Extension: Rental rate update
About a month ago, the newest data for cropland and pasture rental rates was released by the University of Minnesota (UMN). Bear in mind that this UMN data is for the 2022 growing season, not for this current year. kAm%96 a_aa 4C@A=2?5 2G6C286 7@C {6 $F6FC r@F?EJ H2D Sace A6C 24C6[ 2?5 7@C A2DEFC6[ 2? 2G6C286 @7 Sch A6C 24C6] {2DE J62C H2D 2 3:8 :?4C62D6 @G6C a_a`[ H96C6 E96 2G6C286D H6C6 Sa`f 2?5 Sbd]d_[ C6DA64E:G6=J] ~FC 4@F?EJ H2D ?@E F?:BF6 :? E92E C682C5[ 2D ;F>AD H6C6 ?@E65 6=D6H96C6 :?
Le Sueur County Extension: Nutrient uplift in plants
A couple of weeks ago I was visiting some family in St. Cloud when I noticed a peculiar plant with rough leaves and a bell-shaped flower. I was told it was comfrey, and it was planted to help the surrounding herbs. kAm$:?46 4@>7C6J H2D ?@E 2 =68F>6[ x H2D :?E6C6DE65 :?
Buckthorn management for homeowners and farmers
Common (or European) buckthorn is the overwintering host for soybean aphids, a serious pest for our farmers. During the late spring/early summer these insects make the (often) short journey to nearby soybean plants. For farmers, fields that are most susceptible to early aphid infestations often have abundant buckthorn in their wooded borders.
Chokecherry or a chokeberry?
During our Gardening from the Ground Up webinar series, there was a major emphasis on picking the right landscape shrub. Frequently, chokecherries and chokeberries were brought up, which then caused confusion. So, what is the difference between these two plants? To make things a bit less confusing in my own article, I will (mostly) refer to chokeberry as aronia or aronia berry. Chokecherry and aronia are quite different genetically.
Le Sueur County Extension: Emerald ash borer winners and losers
Emerald ash borer (EAB) has only spread more in southern Minnesota since last I wrote about the pest. As I type this, an ash tree in front of my Mankato office is already losing its bark from woodpeckers. Homeowners often are left with hard decisions to either remove or treat their ash trees. For ash trees in forests though, the calculus changes. It is not feasible to treat or cut every ash tree in a 20-acre lot.
Le Sueur County Extension: Conifers for Colds?
During the Christmas blizzard, I was snowed in at my family’s house. As I ventured out to shovel snow, I got an unusual request from my mother. She wanted me to snip off a few white pine tips that formed our windbreak for an herbal tea. She wanted something to help prevent getting a cold during winter and thought the tea would help. “No, you are thinking of spruce tips, Mom,” I said. What followed was frantic, online searches to see who was right. Turns out we were both right, and both a little wrong.
Le Sueur County Extension: Regenerative agriculture is generating discussions
In agriculture we get to hear lots of buzzwords. Soil scientists like me are no stranger to fighting over definitions. About five years ago I attended a conference where two dozen professors even argued over the definition of “soil” — yikes. One phrase I heard repeatedly is “regenerative agriculture.” Farms can be certified in it, and there is talk of regenerative agriculture being put in the upcoming Farm Bill. You may see organizations talk about its future impact or read an article about it.
Le Sueur County Extension: Zany for ZZ plants
Winter decided to show up, and it is in a bad mood. Perhaps it did not like summer sticking around too long. Whatever the beef between the seasons, I am glad I am indoors while they hash it out. I do miss seeing growing things already—whether it is corn or a big catalpa tree. UV “happy” lamps and nature sounds on YouTube can only do so much when white stuff starts falling. Thankfully, I have a green friend who is way tougher than me in my home office.
Fighting 'snirt' in vegetable gardens
Before we know it, we will be in for “snirt” season. Snirt is what we call when snow and eroded soil mix. You might see evidence of snirt in the road ditch, where it looks like someone poured cocoa mix onto snow. Farmers and gardeners both can be affected by this type of erosion. Blown soil can hold a lot of organic matter and nutrients, which can be released into waterways in the spring. Hungry algae love to feed on anything eroded soil gives them, in particular phosphorus.
Le Sueur County Extension: Two situations to look out for in ash borer treatment
With new discoveries in St. Peter and Le Sueur, emerald ash borer (EAB) continues its way across Minnesota. Homeowners are rushing to buy DIY insecticide treatments or contacting tree care companies to help save their trees. While these products are effective if properly used; ignoring the label and/or state of the tree can mean dead ash, an expensive bill, and an unhappy owner. EAB kills ash by eating the living part (the cambium) inside the tree.
Le Sueur County Extension: Purple carrot-seed moth discovered
An invasive insect native to northern Europe and Asia, the purple carrot-seed moth (Depressaria depressana), was recently discovered in Montgomery. How it arrived in the US is not clear, but it was first reported on the east coast in 2008, and in Wisconsin in 2018. When a purple carrot-seed moth is a caterpillar — true to its name — it eats flowers of plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae). Eventually, the caterpillars spin a silky web in the flower and pupate into moths.
The summer of anthracnose
The cool and wet spring means a more active plant disease season. Looking back at my old logbook, 2019 had a similar start of the year, with maybe more snowy misery in April. One of the notable calls I got that summer involved trees sloughing off their leaves–most often during June and July. Many of the fallen leaves looked deformed, almost as if someone pulled on a loose thread and crinkled it. There were also brown splotches that might have started off as smaller spots.
Le Sueur County Extension: No-mow May can pay dividends for the right lawns
First started in England, “no-mow May” has been touted as a way to support pollinators in residential lawns. By holding off cutting the blooms that pop up, bees can emerge in the spring and get a good start on the year. Many of these flowers belong to dandelions, self-heal, and clover. While not invasive, these early season pollinator plants are typically put in the “weed” category. Some homeowners go to great lengths to kill them, and mowing is one technique to set them back.
Avian Influenza discovered in Le Sueur County
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Le Sueur County Extension: Wriggling jumping worms
Animals are complicated; earthworms are no different. Gardeners, farmers, and soil scientists might see helpful creatures. Those that cycle organic matter, increase microbe activity, and open channels for water to flow. Meanwhile, foresters see a non-native pest of the Midwest. Unwelcome critters which fundamentally change how a forest functions by removing its dense leaf layer.
Emerald ash borer discoveries threaten local counties
With the confirmation of emerald ash borer (EAB) beetle in St. Clair, Le Sueur and Nicollet counties are now surrounded by this damaging pest. Now is the time to decide what to do with your ash trees. What makes EAB so devastating is how effective it is in killing its host. I see many sick trees in my line of work, but few pests can kill a healthy tree just by itself. EAB mortality rate for native ash is just under 100%.
Le Sueur County Extension: Practice patience for spring lawn care
Well, the arctic freezer blast in February followed by the warmup in March certainly increased our longing for green things. Around this time of the year, homeowners commonly call the office for help keeping their lawn said green color. However, early spring is more a season of patience than aggressive action for lawns. During times where we have a soil blanketed with snow for months, snow molds can sometimes give you a nasty surprise during spring thaw.
Le Sueur County Extension: Laid up in the lilacs
Every year, it seems there is one disease or problem that hits yards hard. Since I have been in Extension, these usually involved evergreens or maples. This time, normally tough lilac hedges are firmly in the crosshairs. Rows of lilacs with no past problems have been suddenly shedding their leaves in midsummer. Often, these leaves are crisped up and spotted, and in some cases, branches may even dry up and die. These symptoms usually line up with either a fungal or bacterial infection.
Minnesota Corn: Nitrogen Credits - How Will Soybeans, Cover Crops Affect Next Season?
With a wet growing season in some areas of the Midwest, we’ve received a lot of questions about nitrogen credits in 2019. Here’s a look at how soybean and cover crops will affect nitrogen crediting for next season. The amount of available nitrogen in a field depends on several key processes in the nitrogen cycle. Precipitation and moisture influence most of that variability.
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