Random questions from a beginner

[BaublesAndGlitter]

Hi. Any and all help would be appreciated - I'm a complete beginner (I didn't have a garden until last year).

We moved and now have a south facing garden and I'm trying to grow a few things for the first time ever. They're all in pots, planters or grow bags. Some indoor; some outdoor. I've looked online but so much of the advice I've seen conflicts with other advice and I'm getting a bit stressed about me potentially killing them so I thought I'd ask here.

1. I have what I think is an aloe plant inside and it's leaves have started going yellow and I have no idea why. I've attached a pic - I'd really like to save it.

1. Last summer I threw some wildflower seeds (it was a seed bomb for bees) in a planter and they grew quite well (although I think I used too many).

When they died I didn't do anything - now I have what seems to be random leaves and grass in the planter. Do I need to pull them up and do more seeds or will the wildflowers have self-seeded?

1. Also last summer, I tried to grow strawberries. They were initially in a very small pot so I repotted them into something bigger (but still not huge). They've started growing loads again as the weather has warmed up here - should I put in some basic plant food? Repot them? Leave them alone?

1. I bought some herbs toward the end of last summer and put them in pots. They've survived (🥳) but the rosemary has flowered and I'm not sure if I should be doing anything? Advice online doesn't seem to help.

Also, I have sage that is growing well but the leaves look limp and I'm not sure what to do with it?

1. Lastly I have a beloved cactus - he started life as one of the 99p ones that came with a stuck on moustache and hat. I've repotted him twice in the 10 years I've had him (last time was 2 or 3 years ago).

He's grown a lot since moving as his new home has sunshine and heat for most of the day so I'm considering re-potting however, his spines / stems (?) seem quite springy rather than upright and strong. Is there anything I can do to help?

Sorry for the very long post. I'm also attempting to grow some veg - for that I'm literally following an online guide but when it goes tits up I may have some more questions throughout the summer!

Thank you

I don’t think that’s an aloe Vera. Looks like a succulent of some kind. Yellow leaves can often mean over watering. So let it dry out a bit.

Pull up the grass and see what the little seedlings turn into. Hopefully they will have self seeded!

Your cactus could also have too much water if it’s gone soft.

The other questions are hard to answer without photos.

Gardening is a huge learning curve. Loads of my stuff has died in the past. You just have to get into the rhythm of it and how if something goes wrong it can take a whole year before you can try again.

Agree that the succulent looked like it's been overwatered. I have one on a shelf that I forget is there and water 2 or 3 times a year. A big drench of water like a sudden rainstorm in the desert.

I grow herbs and mostly leave them alone. My rosemary and thyme flower but it doesn't appear to affect the taste. I occasionally water sage, basil, dill and other softer herbs.

1. I have what I think is an aloe plant inside and it's leaves have started going yellow and I have no idea why. I've attached a pic - I'd really like to save it.

• waters too much. Leave it alone for 2 weeks. Better to drench once a fortnight and then leave alone than water little often. Soil on the top should never look wet or damp.

1. Last summer I threw some wildflower seeds (it was a seed bomb for bees) in a planter and they grew quite well (although I think I used too many).

When they died I didn't do anything - now I have what seems to be random leaves and grass in the planter. Do I need to pull them up and do more seeds or will the wildflowers have self-seeded?

Pull the grass / weeds out and rake over the soil. See what grows

1. Also last summer, I tried to grow strawberries. They were initially in a very small pot so I repotted them into something bigger (but still not huge). They've started growing loads again as the weather has warmed up here - should I put in some basic plant food? Repot them? Leave them alone?

Yes to plant food, liquid tomato stuff is fine, couple of times over summer. Remember to cut off any arms/leaves that are brown or dying.

1. I bought some herbs toward the end of last summer and put them in pots. They've survived (🥳) but the rosemary has flowered and I'm not sure if I should be doing anything? Advice online doesn't seem to help.

Also, I have sage that is growing well but the leaves look limp and I'm not sure what to do with it?

Give it a shake to help the dead ones fall off but otherwise leave it. Lavender and rosemary both don't need watering at all in this country unless we have a heat wave. Then drench every few days but otherwise leave alone. They both like full sun positions (where the sun is most of the day)

1. Lastly I have a beloved cactus - he started life as one of the 99p ones that came with a stuck on moustache and hat. I've repotted him twice in the 10 years I've had him (last time was 2 or 3 years ago).

He's grown a lot since moving as his new home has sunshine and heat for most of the day so I'm considering re-potting however, his spines / stems (?) seem quite springy rather than upright and strong. Is there anything I can do to help?

Cut off lower stems about 1inch above soil level and repot. Again don't water often and just drench fortnightly.

Thank you all!
The plant in the pic was given to me and I was told it was an aloe so took that at face value. And when it started to go a little yellow I watered it a few times because my normal fault is not watering plants and them withering away to nothing.
I'll leave it alone and hope it comes back ok.

For almost everything else I'll leave them alone, will just look at cactus options and feed the strawberries.

I really want to learn but don't want to lose too many plants along the way - I'm rubbish but enthusiastic!

Main thing to notice is if leaves go yellow they're too wet. If they go crispy and brow, they're too dry.

You'll get there! It's all practice and whenever I find a new plant I like I use the RHS website to read up on how to care for it. This then turns into general knowledge 🤣

I'd put the strawberries in the ground. They will multiply but that will mean more strawberries. The berries and plants are easy to give away.

Herbs will usually cope with not much watering and poor soil quality

The photo is almost certainly not an aloe and as others have said has been overwatered. Let it dry out a bit. It is far easier to kill houseplants by overwatering than by underwatering. Just call it a succulent and treat yourself to an aloe vera plant

Cacti don't need repotting very often. If you repot, wear thick gloves or wrap the cactus in several layers of paper before you handle it

It sounds like you are doing ok and can look forward to the joys of gardening

The succulent is an echeveria, they're much happier outside if you have a sheltered sunny spot as they don't get enough light indoors.

The strawberry plant will sent out long shoots, called runners, if you gently weigh down the ends of these so they touch the soil they will root and make new plants. FREE plants! If you like bargains and free stuff you are going to love gardening.

( the free plants go a little way to recouping the cost of all the other things we gardeners spend our money on! Compost, lovely pots, tools, irresistible new plants, bulbs…….)

With sage it’s a good time to cut off most of the old leaves, new growth should then rejuvenate the plant and make it bushier and stronger. With mint you can pinch out the top leaves to encourage side shoots to appear further down the plant. I give my thyme a very light going over with scissors to stop it getting straggly. You can sow parsley about now as it probably hasn’t survived the winter. Some herbs don’t, I thought I had kept my tarragon going in my mini greenhouse , it looked fine up until a week ago then it threw a wobbly and has gone. Off to the garden centre ( secret cheer)