I glad you can find the better products in your local garden center. Most
of them stock what they already know and what is advertised in popular
magazines.

One of the keys to sucessful insect control is to rotate the products you
use. Continued use of a single insecticide usually leads to resistance and
loss of controll.

Spider mites are NOT an insect and usually not controlled with insecticides,
the systemics may help, I just don't like them.

Another aspect of the contact insecticides is the effective active period.
Many lose their toxicity after a relatively short period. Obviously the
systemics don' behave like this.

As mentioned previously, early detection and controll are more effective
than trying to eliminate a well established infestation.

The critters are always out there, we just have to be observant and react
with appropriate measures.

The fungal diseases are an entirely different matter, prevention is the most
powerful control. Find a product or home brew solution that works for your
garden and use it regularly. The local soil and water often have a
tremendous affect of what works well. If you are in the eastern half of the
US, the soil tends to be acidic where in the west it is alkaline. This
affects the availability of nutrients in the soil. The pH of the water you
use in spray solutions will also impact how well a spary solution works.
Indicate is a fairly inexpensive product that gives a visual indication of
the pH.

I believe the most important messages are observation and education. Look,
investigate and make intelligent choices.

Tim