Question
Hi Wayne King,

Could you explain to me what is meant by self-pollination & cross-pollination?

What are pros & cons of each?

Thanks in advance,
Nwe Lay

Answer
Self-pollination is pollination involving both sexual parts of the same plant.  It is when the pollinium of a plant is placed on the stigma of that same plant. The advantage is that it is the only way to produce a seed pod when no other genetically compatible plants are in flower-- required for cross-pollination.

Cross-pollination involves two genetically compatible plants in which the pollinium of one plant is placed on the stigma of a second plant.  These plants can be of the same species but need only be of the same alliance.  Thus, a brassavola may be crossed with a cattleya, a laelia, a sophronitis,etc or with another brassavola of the same or different species. This crossing has the advantage of producing plants that are more genetically variable and may have flowers similar to either parent or intermediate between parents.  Hybridizers use  cross-pollination hoping to produce offspring superior in quality to either parent.