Hot, muggy days can make it a chore to work in the landscape this time of year, but insect, disease and other plant problems need tending to.

To keep your landscape at its best, you need to keep an eye on things to detect problems before they get out of control.

A trowel, a white index card or white copy paper, a magnifying glass and a hand pruner are the tools you'll need.

First, check annuals and perennials, which usually need the most immediate attention. Are they healthy, green and strong, or spindly, yellow and weak? Perhaps they need a little fertilizer. Annuals in particular benefit from light, frequent applications.

Yellowing can also mean too much water. Dig down to see how wet the soil is and how well it's draining. Heavy, wet soils can wreak havoc on many landscape plants and might be hard to remedy without renovating the bed or creating a raised bed.

You need to check the blooms. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, will keep many plants blooming all summer. When checking blooms, look for insects or diseases.

Look at the foliage on all your plants. Are the leaves spotted or riddled with holes? Are they speckled, bronze-colored or different from the way they should be?

We've had a lot of leaf spot diseases on plants from the wet spring. You'll usually see a yellow or purple halo around the dark spot if it's diseased.

You might need to use a fungicide, but many leaf spots won't permanently harm most shrubs or trees. Improving air circulation by lightly pruning will also improve a plant's health.

Insect damage may appear as solid, blackish-brown spots, chewed areas or speckled leaves. Be sure to look at the underside of the leaves where insects feed and hide.

Properly identifying the insect is the key in selecting the control. Remember, there are far more beneficial insects out there than bad guys. Beneficials do an outstanding job of keeping damaging insects at bay on their own.

Buy a good insect ID book or use the Web and learn how to tell the good bugs from the bad. Treat plants only when pests are causing more damage than you can live with.

Some insects are so tiny they are hard to see. This is where the magnifying glass and white index card come in handy. If you see speckled or off-color foliage and suspect insects but can't see any, shake the leaves briskly over the index card. You may see tiny red specks called spider mites. Mites tend to be worse in dry weather and can build up heavy infestations quickly. To control these pests, use a product labeled for mite control.

Check azaleas for off-color foliage. A common summer problem is lace bugs, which feed on the undersides of leaves. They have many generations of offspring, so keep a watch and control this one all summer.

Chewing damage can be caused by many insects, including Japanese beetles, leaf beetles, snails and slugs. Many beetles are nocturnal, so you never see them unless you check at night with a flashlight.

After you know which culprit is munching on your plants, select the appropriate control. Insects are usually easiest to kill when young.

If you have a problem you can't solve, check with your local extension office. County agents have diagnostic tools and resources to help solve almost any landscape problem. It always helps if you can bring in a fresh sample that accurately depicts the problem.

Sid Mullis is the director of the University of Georgia Extension Service Office for Richmond County. Call him at (706) 821-2349, or send e-mail to smullis@uga.edu.