Growing outdoors your plants are like magnets for pests. The best approach to dealing with them is having a solid IPM (integrated pest management) program. From the point even before you even get plants out you need to be on top of it by providing your plants with everything they need to develop strong immune systems unless you're okay with using harsh insecticides/fungicides.
Right now I have a presence of aphids, they're indeed those little green bugs you see and in a later stage of maturity they can be found with wings.
I havent noticed any damage from them (thankfully) and noticed a handful of ladybugs coming to help. The only pest damage present is from leafhoppers, they chew little holes through the leaves and bounce. I believe using marigolds as companion planting can help deter leafhoppers (along with a good IPM program!)
I spray my plants every 7 days (even twice a week if pest presence is on the larger side) switching between neem seed meal, insect frass, and ill be adding neem oil to the schedule too. Its better to have more than one method of attack. Every watering I include silica which has many other benefits besides just helping your plants fight against pests.
Powdery mildew is a bitch, and if you have it, you're just going to have to fight it the best you can. Greencure (potassium bicarbonate)is pretty friendly, get that on schedule with your IPM sprays. Remove all affected leaves but be mindful not to completely strip or stress your plant out.
Make sure your plants are opened up and getting good airflow through and through,dense canopies mixed with bad air flow, high humidity, and cooler temps are all the parameters needed for PM to go wild.
Since its your first grow, and outdoors, one thing to be cautious of is budworms (moth caterpillars). Some areas dont have to worry about these, but its best to be very well prepared in advanced. These guys are the worst of the worst in my opinion. As soon as your plant starts flowering, eggs will be laid deep into the growth, and as the flowers get bigger, it makes a perfect hideout made of food. Not only do they destroy plant matter at a rapid rate, their droppings are perfect for mold, leading straight to budrot. The thing is you cant see them - they can be smaller than half a grain of rice and hiding deep in your flowers. Usually when detected its not because you see them, its because your flowers are rotting away. Ive had to throw out entire plants because of these guys. Safer brand caterpillar killer is a must have if budworms are an issue in your area. Its a type of bacteria that is toxic when digested. They wont be able to feed and eventually die off. This isnt a one and done fix - it takes some time to see results but spray well before your buds start developing, its not a good idea to introduce any moisture of any kind to your buds, but if you've gotta do it you've gotta do it.
Compost tea foliar sprays here and there can have all the benefits above combined, I highly suggest looking into how to make these, its cheap, organic, and can bring a whole bunch of positive benefits into your garden.
I grow completely organic, these methods work well for me because they are cost effective, simple, and only provide benefits to my garden, if you wanted to use other methods of pest management that is totally fine. Do whatever provides the best results. Good luck and happy growing!