What to you mean pls. by "fruits"? Is this what I've heard called the apple (after the plant's been fertilized)?

If so, would be sort of a small ball-looking green thing? If yes, it may take up to a year to ripen (it will redden in time). If this is what it is, I had one of these once & it DID take a year or so to ripen to red, when I plucked it off & tried to get out the seeds. I got them out, but didn't know how to handle them at the time & they dried out so I abandoned the project altogether.

If that's what they are, I'd suggest no fertilizer at all, just maintain yr. regular watering regimen.

I'm not sure what they're called but yeah, the green berry-thing that grows after the bloom has been pollinated. I don't think it's a seed pod as the 'thing' seems to be fruit-like itself.

I'll have to dig around google much harder when I've got the energy. Either that or hit the library for any old books if someone ever published one that went into details on how to be successful with germinating the seeds.'

A year though. Wow!

Germinating seed: Just like you would any other cactus seed. There is a current article in the CSSA Journal and another here: http://cactus.biology.cal.ca/paulS/christmas/christmas.html
Note: Christmas and Easter/Thanskgiving cactus are two different species. I have never seen the seed. When ripe you should be able to see the black seed through the fruit, which is a correct dedication. I would take cuttings for more unless you want to try hybridizing. much faster way to go. The fruit comes in red, yellow, white, and I think perhaps orange. Let them dry out before planting, I lay the fruit on a paper napkin so they can dry and not get lost. They are about the size of strayberry seeds.
Don't trust online information, it's a good start, but research to be sure. Feartilizer will not help ripen the fruit, it will help make a healthy plant what will flower for you. If grown inside it will take longer to develope and ripen, what are you using to pollinate? First that must be done unless you have sterile fruit. I don't mean to seem if I'm talking down to you, but I have don't have any way to know if you took up Biliology or how much knowledge and experience you have previously had. These plants do not like heat, but they like warm shade. They will often go limp after flowering heavly. We which you good luck, I gave you as much informatiion that I could think of at the moment. Norma

I apologize for making another post so soon

Hey don't apologize I've learned something new from this thread.

Norma, It never occurred to me that the fruit would be sterile. Shoot. And I was excited about the idea of planting seeds once I was lucky in getting anything pollinated. They're thanksgiving cacti. The 'mother' plant is "yellow" and the 'father' plant is "red". That's all I know of about them. I don't have any names attached to them. I don't know how well it'll do but I've got three fruits that are definitely growing on the plant now. Right now, the plants are all indoors but some tend to go back outside for the summer under the tent for shade. That way there is bright light but no direct sun.

mrbrownthumb, thanks!

Hi there,

I don't think anyone should apologize for their questions, dragonstone. Because you've been asking things about Schlumbergeras, I 've also learned a lot. I also tried putting the different flower parts of my Thanksgiving cacti together, and also tried putting my one lonely Christmas bloomer's flowers with some of the later blooms from one of the Thanksgiving cacti, so I have several fruits going. On the Thanksgiving cactus they are green and roundish, and on the Christmas one they are round, green and ridged. I noticed the flowers seem to shrivel up sooner when they are making a fruit.

I have a lone Easter cactus that I had outside on the porch last summer when it was blooming, and it got one fruit, which was a surprise. I broke it open before Christmas because I was curious about whether it had seeds, and it had little black specks like coarse pepper embedded in the fruit pulp. I didn't really save them because I assumed I was premature in opening the fruit, it was still green after all. So--my question now is this. Would a sterile fruit just not have any seeds in it, or would it have the little seeds but they would just not be viable?

Norma, I tried your link and it "couldn't be found". Is it old or is there a typo? I appreciate your efforts to enlighten us. Do you dry the fruits on a napkin and then remove the seeds, or do you separate the seeds from the pulp first? or do you mean that you plant the whole fruit? I'm sorry if I don't understand, and I'd like to know what to do with my fruits. Thanks

Hi again,

I was just reading the previous post about Schlums, and found the answer to the link problem. The link is:

http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/paulS/christmas/christmas.html

Thanks, Norma

Here is a link that might be useful: Norma's link

That's a good question. I wondered if it was similar to seedless grapes if it was sterile.