Mid-June is a great time to be a gardener.

Plants are lush and healthy, vegetables and fruits are maturing at a rapid pace and lawns are still green from lingering rainfall.

But in just a couple of weeks, this delicate environmental balance is sure to change. Temperatures are likely to crank up - and stay up - for much of the summer. Rainfall will decrease and insect pests/disease will increase.

How we, as gardeners, deal with the resulting changes could mean the difference between a garden that keeps its healthy good looks versus a landscape that goes into decline.

Today we'll be focusing on ways to balance the equation. The following tips are designed to keep both plants and the environment in great shape.

Four Basic Tenants to Follow

1. Healthy plants are the result of a healthy environment. Take the time to provide fertile soil, excellent drainage, sufficient sunlight, appropriate amounts of water, quality fertilizer and wind protection. Deer fencing, too, if necessary.

2. Read the label. Even some "organic" sprays can kill indiscriminately, reducing the population of beneficial insects. Treat any insecticide or fungicide with respect and dispose of empty containers appropriately.

3. Give new products a trial run. Apply to a few leaves, then wait two days to see if there are adverse effects.

4. Keep insecticides and fungicides away from kids, pets and street drains. This means that safe storage, not to mention application, is a must.

Simple Chores Ensure Good Plant Health

You needn't be a slave to your garden to make it productive and healthy:

• Fertilize regularly (biweekly for vegetables, monthly for baskets and perennials). Strong, healthy plants are less susceptible to pests and disease.

• Vanquish weeds! They can host pests that may eventually migrate to your favorite plants.

• Select pest- and disease-resistant species. Check the label - many plants are naturally resistant (or have been bred to resist) a number of insect pests and fungal diseases.

• Experiment with physical barriers. I use copper "tape" on my containers to keep slugs and snails away from potted hostas and other susceptible plants. Collars made out of heavy card stock can be placed around the stems of young vegetable seedlings to prevent damage from hungry pests.

• Get up close and personal! Remove pests by hand; trim away fungal infections with pruners, disinfecting between cuts; get out the hose and spray aphids off roses; release beneficial insects into the garden.

Using insecticides wisely

Many of us have a knee-jerk reaction to pest damage: we douse the plant in question with something to get rid of the critter in question.

While this is a very human response to seeing a treasured plant with holes, bite marks or shredded foliage, it isn't very responsible. Instead, take a moment to give your plant the once-over. Try to see exactly what's happening before jumping to conclusions. You'll have a better chance of successfully treating the problem.

Be aware, too, that some plants release toxins when they are chewed by insect pests. These toxins then work to repel the attacking pest. Hard to believe, but a few chewed leaves can actually work to a plant's overall benefit!

The following five least-toxic products should control about 95% of your insect pest problems. Look for them at your favorite nursery, garden center or home improvement store:

• Insecticidal soap: This solution of special soap mixed with oil and water can be used to control aphids and other soft-bodied insects. It's virtually nontoxic and leaves no residue in the soil.

• Bacillus Thuringiensis: Also known as BT, these live bacteria are available in powder or spray formulas. BT kills caterpillars and a variety of other worms. It's considered harmless to noncaterpillar critters, humans and other mammals.

• Pyrethrum: This chemical has more power than most synthetic chemicals, killing a substantial variety of insects. Use this one with extreme care and caution, as it can be deadly to humans. Pyrethrum is available in dust or spray forms.

• Neem: This insecticide comes from the tropical neem tree. Unlike pyrethrum, it has a very low toxicity level but still works well for crickets, cockroaches, beetles and leaf miners.

• Oil sprays: These are refined or "superior" oils that smother their prey. They're light, can be applied year-round and control a variety of pests and certain fungal diseases. Oils are not highly toxic but may cause skin and eye irritation in sensitive individuals.

Effective Fungal Treatments

Insidious and often difficult to control, fungal diseases can, if left untreated, ultimately destroy the affected plant.

Treatment rarely reverses the infestation. You need to remove the affected foliage (both from the plant and the soil surface beneath the plant) and then spray.

If you have susceptible plants and want to avoid the problem altogether, here are a few ideas:

• Provide good air circulation between and around your plants.

• Water at the base, rather than from above.

• Rake and remove fallen infected foliage on a regular basis.

• Apply fresh mulch/compost at the beginning of every growing season.

• Spray with compost tea every two to four weeks during the growing season. I've had fungal infections on both tender fuchsias and climbing roses actually reverse course after treatment with compost tea.

• Try a full-strength solution of whole milk (or a 50:50 solution of whole milk and water) to combat powdery mildew on cucumber, squash, pumpkin and begonia foliage. Spray on infected leaves twice a week.

• The best-known and perhaps most effective least-toxic fungicide is known as the Cornell (after the university) formula. Simply mix one tablespoon each of baking soda, ultra-refined horticultural oil and insecticidal soap together in one gallon of water. Shake mixture well and use as a spray, applying every week to 10 days, making sure you apply evenly on both the top and underside of the leaves.

To keep baking soda agitated within the spray solution, master gardener and HGTV host Paul James recommends adding a golf ball inside the spray apparatus.