Dracula Species Blooming

Leslie, that Dracula is a really great species. It will open when it is ready but it is possible that the shipping weakened the blooms and buds or slowed their development so don't be too shocked if you loose some of the buds.. I think you just need to be patient. All of the others probably can't be rushed either. Just give them the conditions they need and they should eventually reward you with flowers. Good luck.

 

Leslie, watering 2 x per day is way to much. Growing in the house like you are you could probably water once per week. After seeing your new post about dead roots and your response on this post about watering makes it all come together. You are killing your plants by over watering.

How often you should water depends on what medium it is growing in and other factors such as humidity and temperature. If it is growing in sphagnum moss it should need water less often than if it is growing in bark. With Phalaenopsis (and probably all of your orchids) you will want to flood or flush the pot over the sink and let it drain. The growing medium should be airy and drain quickly. Don't water again until the medium is almost dry. Under my house conditions I usually watered once per week in the summer and once every other week in the winter. Until you get a good feel for watering here is one easy trick. Get a bamboo or wood shish-ka-bob skewer or any long thin piece if wood. Insert it into the pot all the way to the bottom and leave it there for at least 1 minute. Pull it out and see if it is moist. Sometimes, if your hands are calloused and dry like mine tend to be, it is easier to feel the moisture by laying the skewer or stick on your cheek. If the stick is dry you need to water. If it is moist you can wait a little longer. After a while you will just know when you should water. A lot of people determine when to water by picking up the pot to feel the weight. After a while it becomes easy and you will wonder what the big problem was. Your Dracula will possibly need to be watered more frequently because they like to be moist at all times.

On a Phal, the "crown" is where all of the leaves come together in the center of the plant. Don't let water stand in the crown. If water gets in there while watering you will need to remove it with the corner of a paper towel or soft cloth. If the crown stays wet it encourages rot which will kill your plant.

A few other watering tips:
Do not water your orchid by putting ice cubes in the pot. This is a myth and is actually bad for your plant.
If you have plants in terracotta pots and plastic pots the ones in terracotta will need to be watered more frequently. So, if time is a concern for you, keep your orchids in the same kind of pot (either plastic or terracotta or glazed ceramic, etc). Just make sure the pots drain well.

So, how to bring your plants back to a healthy state...... Make sure the medium is fresh and drains well and the pot has good drain holes. Pot the plant in the smallest pot that it will fit in, remove all of the dead roots, water only when it approaches dryness (except the Dracula).

Ask more questions if you need to. Good luck.