Weird thing on my Xmas Cactus...

gssgarden · August 20, 2013

Funny looking thing. This is on an OLD xmas cactus. It looks like the branch was growing and one of the 'leaves' got a blister of sorts! lol

It's kinda hard and looks like the 'leaves' after it dried up and died.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Greg

Doug9345 · August 20, 2013

The pink bulb is a fruit. In about 9 months to a year it should have seeds in it. The cream thing on the end of it is a dried flower.

gssgarden · August 20, 2013

no kidding?!?!? It flowered last xmas time so it must have popped out a flower when I wasn't looking!

never saw it before and I've had this for quite some time.

Do you know what it will look like when it's ready?

Greg

Doug9345 · August 20, 2013

Mine just sort of get softer. I took the seeds out of one of the pink fruit when it first turned pink and they didn't grow. I later read that they take 9 months to a year to ripen. I was ready this spring to try planting some when the house burned.

The think Christmas cactus are self unfertile so it takes two different plants to pollinate each other. By different I don't mean two plants of the same variety because they really are just the same plant.

Ken4230 · August 20, 2013

I have a Thanksgiving cactus that is at least 30 year old. It's one of the family. It was a little over 4' in diameter at one time. Several of the stems got hollow and big sections fell in the floor. I cut the damaged parts off and repotted the whole plant into a larger pot.
That was 6 or 7 years ago, it's now 3' wide and 30" tall. Mine will sporadically bloom at any time of the year. I just checked and measured it and picked 3 wilting blooms off of it. The heaviest bloom is in Oct. and Nov, and sometimes on into late Dec.

I feed mine coffee grounds once a month, half and half water and white tea every two weeks and rotate it a quarter turn every 6 mo. When i rotate it, i add a quart or so of a good seed starter mix.
These were the instructions from the lady that gave me the plant. She must have known what she was talking about, because she had one that looked like a Christmas tree.

I have never had a fruit because i only have the one plant. Over the years, i have given away dozens of her babies that i have picked up off the floor and repotted. I have one now that is looking for a good home.

Doug9345 · August 21, 2013

I had three different kinds. A red one that I bought for 50 cents on a clearance rack that was 7 or 8 years old. Fuschsia ones that I'd for a nickle a piece from Lowes one of which had a white one in it. I purposely crossed them to have fruit on the plants.

August 20, 2013	#4
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	Mine just sort of get softer. I took the seeds out of one of the pink fruit when it first turned pink and they didn't grow. I later read that they take 9 months to a year to ripen. I was ready this spring to try planting some when the house burned. The think Christmas cactus are self unfertile so it takes two different plants to pollinate each other. By different I don't mean two plants of the same variety because they really are just the same plant. Last edited by Doug9345; August 21, 2013 at 08:28 AM.

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August 20, 2013	#3
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,820	no kidding?!?!? It flowered last xmas time so it must have popped out a flower when I wasn't looking! never saw it before and I've had this for quite some time. Do you know what it will look like when it's ready? Greg

August 20, 2013	#5
Ken4230 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Western Ky Posts: 282	I have a Thanksgiving cactus that is at least 30 year old. It's one of the family. It was a little over 4' in diameter at one time. Several of the stems got hollow and big sections fell in the floor. I cut the damaged parts off and repotted the whole plant into a larger pot. That was 6 or 7 years ago, it's now 3' wide and 30" tall. Mine will sporadically bloom at any time of the year. I just checked and measured it and picked 3 wilting blooms off of it. The heaviest bloom is in Oct. and Nov, and sometimes on into late Dec. I feed mine coffee grounds once a month, half and half water and white tea every two weeks and rotate it a quarter turn every 6 mo. When i rotate it, i add a quart or so of a good seed starter mix. These were the instructions from the lady that gave me the plant. She must have known what she was talking about, because she had one that looked like a Christmas tree. I have never had a fruit because i only have the one plant. Over the years, i have given away dozens of her babies that i have picked up off the floor and repotted. I have one now that is looking for a good home.

August 21, 2013	#6
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	I had three different kinds. A red one that I bought for 50 cents on a clearance rack that was 7 or 8 years old. Fuschsia ones that I'd for a nickle a piece from Lowes one of which had a white one in it. I purposely crossed them to have fruit on the plants.