can cold temperatures kill an lcd touch screen price

Cold weather can damage electronics, best to keep them indoors. While you"re planning to keep yourself warm during the cold weather, make sure you consider your electronic devices, too. Tech experts say the cold can drain your battery in minutes, cause permanent damage and it can also freeze an LCD screen.

While normally a cool environment is preferable to a warm one when it comes to keeping your electronics up and running, if it gets too cold, certain components can suffer sudden failure. For instance, LCD screens contain fluid and at extreme temperatures can freeze.

Electronics begin to break down and fry at temperatures above 120 degrees. Most systems tend to run 10 to 20 degrees hotter than room temperature, so anything you can do to reduce the build-up of heat will help to protect your investment better.

After a few hours in the cold, your battery will likely be drained completely, rendering your gadget useless until its next charge. Damage is done to screens and monitors when left out in the cold.

2) What are the temperature limits of electronics? At the low end, operation of semiconductor-based devices and circuits has often been reported down to temperatures as low as a few degrees above absolute zero, in other words as low as about −270°C.

Circuit systems within electronics work best at lower temperatures. Allowing systems to run for prolonged periods of time in high temperatures can decrease the longevity and reliability of devices. Solid-state electronics actually begin to break down and fry at temperatures much above 120 degrees.

An LCD or LED TV may not perform well under extreme temperature conditions. In the cold, the response time of an HDTV picture may lag. For this reason, many LCD and LED television manuals will specify a safe-operating-temperature range. In most HDTVs, this range is about 50–90°F.

It"s okay to store it in the garage but if you bring it inside from a very cold/damp place, I"d recommend you let the TV sit for a while to allow for any condensation to evaporate before plugging it in. An hour should do it.

Do not leave a laptop in a cold car for more than an hour if the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius. Leaving a computer in freezing conditions can actually cause permanent damage to the battery and LCD screen. Reduce the risk by storing the computer in an insulated box in the trunk.

Laptops have been designed to work within a safe temperature range, typically between 50 to 95 degrees F (10 - 35 degrees C). This range refers to the optimal usage temperature of the outside environment and the temperature the laptop should be warmed to before using.

However, you do need to make sure your electronics are protected from moisture, water, wind, and extreme hot and cold temperatures. You should also make sure your electronics are made for outdoor use and not indoor-only use.

The trick to properly storing electronics in heat and cold is to avoid those temperatures altogether! Electronics are best stored in HVAC regulated environments between 50 and 80 degrees.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. When temperatures dip below 32-degrees Fahrenheit, liquid freezes which can cause permanent damage to your LCD screen. That"s the number one reason to make sure you never leave your computer in a cold car or even on a cold floor overnight.

Best case scenario, the cooling system needs to be repaired and the internals of the Xbox would need to be cleaned. Worst case, you have a stylish $500 paperweight. I"d advise against leaving the Xbox in the car overnight if it"s 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Cold temperatures are not as dangerous to a computer as overheating is, but problems can still occurs. If computers get too cold when left powered off, their components can be damaged upon boot because the electricity heats the circuit.

Generally, once it hits 90° or 95° Fahrenheit, you want to start shielding your laptop and smartphone from the heat. Remember that the inside of your car will get hotter than the outside, too, so even if it isn"t quite 90° outside, you should keep it in your bag or leave it at home.

Extreme heat and cold can damage your battery. For example, don"t leave your smartphone in the glove compartment of your car on very hot or cold days. A common myth is that batteries last longer if they are put in the freezer. This is not correct and can damage your battery.

Safe temperatures vary from when the TV is being used or when being stored. LCD and Plasma Operating temps: 40 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. LCD and Plasma Storage temp: -5 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

What Temperature Is Too Cold for a TV? Ideally, it would be best to store your LCD between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid freezing the liquid crystal fluid. LCD televisions should not be stored below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In the cold, an HDTV image"s response time may lag.

Electronics. Most electronics are not meant to stand up to the outdoors, and that"s essentially what your garage is like. Not only will your electronics collect dirt and dust, but they will also become damaged. Humidity and temperature fluctuations will destroy batteries and other operating pieces to your electronics.

Cold weather can damage your laptop in multiple ways, from disabling your display and corrupting your hard drive to shattering your screen if it is warmed up too quickly. Both using and storing your laptop in a cold environment can cause problems.

Since the individual pixels utilize a fluid-like crystal material as the ambient temperature is reduced, this fluid will become more viscous compromising performance. For many LCD displays, temperatures below 0°C represent the point where performance degrades.

- Please be advised that the recommended storage temperature should be between -20 Celsius and +60 Celsius. However,thetelevision cannot be plugged in until the television"s internal temperature is 0-40 degrees Celsius. Please ensure that you unplug the television prior to storing it, and that the television is well warmed-up before plugging it in after the storage period. Regards, Panasonic Canada Inc. - Customer Care Centre - bg

- Thank you for submitting your inquiry to Samsung.For all 3 different technologies, LCD, DLP or PLASMA, the manufacturer recommends a storage temperature (TV off mode) between -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C). Same storage temperatures for all. We also recommend that regardless of what type you buy, that you unplug the TV from the wall socket when not in use for a very long period and to let TV warm up by just plugging it for 12 hours before operating the next time. - Samsung Limitless Support

- I"m glad to provide you the information regarding the operating temperature and storage temperature of the Sony TV. The television can be placed in storage with environmental temperatures between -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and 20-90% Relative Humidity (RH). The recommended temperature for proper operation is between 41°F to 96°F. Proper operation outside of this temperature range cannot be guaranteed. Thank you for your time. Sony of Canada, Ltd. C6EL Jason

I don"t know if a freezer would get the units cold enough to see what happens. I"ve used both grayscale and coler etrex units outside in the winter, and find they"re good to a little below zero fareheit most of the time if you use lithium batteries. Somewhere around zero or a little below, the sreen will get really sluggish, and start doing strange stuff where only parts of it update and stuff like that. The unit will keep recording good tracks though long after the display stops working. On the other end of the spectrum, having taken the Grayscale units into the desert many a time, I can report that direct hot sun on the display will cause the constrast to change to the point you can"t read the screen anymore, and that with eTrex units or a G-III at least you can"t adjust the constrast enough to make them useable. I haven"t observed similar behavior with color units yet though.

On the Teton snowshoe backpacking trip I went on where it got cold enough to cause my VistaC display to fail, I just used the lanyard and kept it inside my coat worn around my neck most of the time. You can then pull it out and use it for a considerable amount of time before it gets cold enough to cause any problems. Other than the rare occasion, most of time though I don"t expose my units to the cold for a long enough period of time to experience problems. As I age, I find I"m a lot less likely to expose myself to that sort of condition. (Who knows, maybe it"s wisdom)

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“If you leave your phone in the car there’s the possibility that you can freeze the LCD in your phone, the liquid crystal,” said Joshua Watters, owner of Mr. Mustache Phone Repair.

He said for the most part, your phone or tablet will be just fine in the cold for a short period of time. After a few hours though things will start to go south.

“It can just get depleted and not take a charge anymore. It’s almost the same as it overheating if you leave it out in the sun in the summer time at over 140 degrees,” Watters said.

“If you’re outside shoveling just make sure you don’t get snow in your pockets with it. Your body heat will melt it and water and electronics is never good,” Watters said.

The temperature in New York City on Tuesday was a high of 19°F and a low of 4°, which is being blamed on the Polar Vortex that is ravaging most of the country with icy weather.

Stepping into the bitter cold, you may have noticed such bodily effects as numbing of the extremities and difficulty breathing. But people are not alone in battling the effects of the cold. Some of our most prized possessions also react to the dipping thermostat: our mobile devices.

Smartphones are known to withstand cold temperatures much better than hot; however, extreme cold temperatures can have adverse effects on our favorite gadgets. Studies have shown that many Android devices fare better in the cold than Apple devices, but smartphones across the board appear to succumb equally at about -40 Degrees, where all functionality ceases.

Though it may just feel like its -40 out, recent temperatures are actually low enough to elicit negative effects on smartphones. Here’s a list of issues than can arise in your smartphone due to the cold.

Battery drain is one of the most immediate effects of cold weather. Devices may spontaneously shut down with a dead battery in the extreme cold. Over time, extended exposure to cold temperatures can kill a smartphone battery all together.

Smartphones with LCD displays are more susceptible to the cold than those with AMOLED displays. With LCD displays in particular, users may experience delayed touchscreen reactions as well as smudging and ghosting of text and colors. Display panels are also more susceptible to shattering when dropped as the cold makes the panel rigid.

In extreme cold temperatures smartphones may begin to register various errors of a their internal components. Devices may have difficulty reading a SIM card or executing a number processing functionalities.

As said, extreme cold causes components of smartphones, both internal and external, to become rigid, which could lead to physical damage like spontaneous screen shattering. Drops or blunt movements can also crack a screen and dislodge or damage internal components. Devices left in extreme cold temperatures for an extended time can be susceptible to permanent damage, especially when left in ‘sleep mode.’

Smartphones are susceptible to liquid condensation underneath their displays if they are used soon after being brought into a warm area after an extended time in the cold. This can cause various liquid damage issues and can also make the screen hard to read.

Don’t take your smartphone out in the cold/limit use in the cold. Leave your smartphone in your pocket, jacket, bag or purse. Leaving devices in a pocket close to your own body heat is most recommended.

Protect your smartphone with a heavy duty, weatherproof case such as an OtterBox or Lifeproof case. Such cases are dirt proof, waterproof and drop resistant.

Use warming gloves when handling a smartphone in the cold. Whether gloves are warmed or not, protecting yourself in the cold will also help prevent accidental drops due to your own physical reactions to the cold.

Don’t leave your smartphone in a cold vehicle for extended periods of time, especially not overnight. Such extended use can cause permanent internal and external damage.

Keep your smartphone away from or protected from snow related activities such as shoveling or sledding. In addition to the cold, the opportunity for the device to get wet is also great and extremely damaging.

Use headphones or a Bluetooth earbud and mic in order to keep smartphones put away while out in the cold. Not only do many Bluetooth devices have call answer buttons, many smartphones have quick answer options, which will allow users to take calls without handling the device.

Charge your smartphone before going outside. If your battery is fully before going out into the cold, it is less likely to experience battery drain. Keep a mobile charger around for long trips as well as an extra battery for backup.

If your smartphone happens to be exposed to extreme cold, the best thing to do is to turn the device off and allow it to warm back up to room temperature before turning it on again for use. This not only helps prevent condensation, but also helps prevent any other damage that might occur while the device is warming up.

Legally and ethically speaking, I could only sign off on the parameters within which we have verified the IC/processor would work. And then my boss, and her/his boss, and everyone else would see the evidence of the tests, and they too would sign off on those constraints.

If you chose to use your equipment at -50 C, equipped with the processor I signed off on with a low threshold of -15 C, my company would no longer have any obligation to that processor. You have broken the warranty.

Testing at -50 C is a lot more expensive to do than testing at -15 C. I would have to verify the test site is actually -50 C--. It is also very dangerous.

Besides that, special/hermetic packaging is required for ICs to operate at extreme low temperatures. As an extreme example, plastic packaging could develop cracks or structural compromises when we pour liquid nitrogen onto them.

There are stress tests that include simulating temperature variations in the functioning of the IC. Say your laptop is sitting in your car in frozen temperatures of -10 C. You turn it on and within 5 minutes it reaches a temperature of 85 C. And for the whole winter, you did that every evening. What about the head unit and the computer-controller that sits in your car, which you would drive for the next 15 years subjected to such fluctuations every winter in northern Maine?

There were too many mechanical issues that my mechanical engineering colleagues had to deal with when it comes to extreme low temperature testing. So, how low a temperature would you want us to verify and how much more extra are you as the consumer willing to pay for that low temperature testing?

We cannot just test one or two units to verify the absence of mechanical issues like incompatibilities between die and packaging, unlike people who hot rod their motherboards experimenting overclocking with the mere one or two processors they bought from ebay. We have to design the acceptable statistical distribution and the sampling plan that would fall into that distribution, that would apply to a stream of ICs flowing thro the product line.

Such that if the US govt agency somehow decided to operate the equipment beyond the tested and verified constraints, we would no longer be legally held responsible for any mishaps or future malfunction.

I have an inexpensive flash-based MP3 player that I got for skiing, and finally got around to using it this weekend with Giro Tune-ups (which work really well, FYI). Temps were 5-15 degrees. Player was in my pack on the first day, no problems, and was in my jacket for the second (colder) day. At the end of the second day, the LCD screen on the MP3 player had developed a big blotch across the middle, such that 80% of the display was no longer legible. After warming it back up inside, overnight, the screen is still 80% gone. Player works fine -- just can"t see anything on the screen. I"m returning it for another one.

Anyone have this happen with any LCD device in very cold weather? I"m glad it was a cheap MP3 player, under warranty, rather than my camera. I would"ve thought that it would remain warm enough inside my jacket, but maybe not.

Both Apple and Android companies are warning customers to bring their electronics inside, and not leave them in their vehicles for an extended period of time because the cold air can cause permanent damage, and in certain cases cause items to explode.

Interestingly, there are many different factors to consider if you want to install an outdoor monitor in an area exposed to the elements.  Not only do outdoor monitors / outdoor signage need to be weather-proof, but useful in their new location. Our SRMW- and SXOBH- SeriesVideo on Monitor View-ability in Direct, Bright Sunlight

When you search for a waterproof high brightness LCD display or weatherproof touch screen, it is essential to make sure they are designed for the job. Check out our SRMW-24Z-SS 24 inch weatherproof screens.  For 2500 nits brightness, our SXOBH-55-4 and SXOBH-65-3 waterproof Sunlight Readable monitors will be the best outdoor monitor solution. Rated IP 68, they provide the highest level of protection of any outdoor  monitor on the market today. And all TRU-Vu monitors are TAA Compliant.

Ingress Protection Code (IP) is an internationally accepted standard.  It classifies and rates the degree of protection provided by enclosures. Protections include against intrusion and dust. Also included are accidental contact, and water. For example, this rating provides a standardized metric to compare different products’ performance with each other. The first number refers to protection against solids.  IP second number refers to protection against liquids.  Additionally, there may be an X in the rating. It means testing was not performed for that specific protection.  For a more detailed description onIP Ratingsfollow the link.  View our IP & NEMA Ratingsliterature for more information,  or watch our video: Demonstration.

We offer weatherproof touch screens and waterproof stainless steel monitors with a variety of resolutions and aspect ratios for your outdoor signage needs. For instance, 4:3 aspect ratio, 5:4 aspect ratio and 16:9 aspect ratio waterproof monitors are available.  Outdoor displays are used in amusement parks, auto racing, car wash facilities, and mass transit. They have also been deployed for advertising, digital signage, kiosks, sports stadiums and military systems. Outdoor monitors and weatherproof touch screens are a fast-growing segment in today’s outdoor display market. We offer only TAA-Compliant monitors.

TRU-Vu also offers a range of outdoor signage, and weatherproof touch screen and weatherproof stainless steel monitor options for industrial, commercial or residential use.  The SXN Series models are available with 55″ and 65″ screen sizes. With 4K resolution and 500 nits of brightness, video images look great in bright conditions.  Additionally, our SXOBH Series outdoor TV’s represent the top-of-the line performance in outdoor TV technology. They offer a fully-sealed IP 68 enclosure, 2,500 nits of brightness, optical bonding, and an operating temperature of -31° to +140°F. They are completely maintenance-free, with no fans, vents or filters to worry about. The front screen is protected by impact-resistant safety glass with an Anti-Reflective coating. It is rated IK 10, and can withstand a 60 mph fastball!! The SXOBH is available with 55″ and 65″ screens. Outdoor video images have never looked so good!

You’ve left your TV in your unheated garage this winter, and temperatures reached below zero. When you finally return, you’re about to turn on the TV, but something stops you.

If you live in a place with cold, icy winters, it’s best to store your TV inside your heated home, rather than leaving it in your humid, below-freezing garage or basement.

You may already know from middle school physics that materials expand in the heat and contract in the cold. The same philosophy applies to your TV’s internal hardware.

Your TV is made up of delicate and complex logic boards, wires, and other carefully placed metal parts. When frozen, these metal pieces will contract and pull away from each other, which could lead to wires detaching and breaking.

This could completely break your TV and pose a fire hazard when you try to turn it on. If your TV has condensation inside, you may notice water inside the screen.

Fixing water damage on a TV is a complicated process that yields low success rates and often requires you to completely take apart your TV. This is risky if you’re unfamiliar with a TV’s anatomy and you could struggle to put it back together correctly.

This could make tasks like changing the channel or volume quite frustrating and may make it almost impossible to game as the input lag would be too slow.

If you’re thinking of mounting your TV in your garage, it’s best to monitor the temperature and humidity levels to make sure it’s a safe environment for your TV.

This Haozee Smart WiFi Temperature and Humidity Monitor connects to an app on your phone, so you can monitor how cold and humid your garage gets at night without having to get out of bed and check it yourself.

Instead, bring your TV inside your home and let it come back down to room temperature. This will give the metal components time to expand back to their original size. It will also allow any condensation to evaporate.

Extremely cold temperatures could severely damage your TV, leading to hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. In the worst-case scenario, you may even have to purchase a replacement.

Yesenia Achlim is a technical copywriter and editor with a focus on AV equipment. She aims to break down complicated topics and make technology accessible, no matter your technical expertise. When she’s not teaching you how to replace a projector lamp, you can find her reading and baking.

With winter well upon us I thought it would be good to share some of my arctic shooting experience. I’ve shot in temperatures down to -45c in the arctic in winter.

Overall modern tapeless cameras do OK in extreme cold. The most reliable cameras are generally larger solid state cameras. Larger cameras cool slower than small ones and larger cameras will hold on to heat generated internally better than small ones. Cameras and electronics with lots of cooling vents can sometimes also be troublesome as the vents allow them to cool more quickly. But cold is not necessarily going to be the biggest problem.

Condensation is the big deal breaker. When you take the very cold camera inside into a warm house/hotel/car/tent you will get condensation. If the camera is very cold this can then freeze on the body of camera including the glass of the lens. If there is condensation on the outside of the camera, there will almost certainly also be condensation inside the camera and this can kill your camera.

To prevent or at least reduce the condensation you can place the camera in a large ziplock or other sealed bag BEFORE taking it inside, take the camera inside in the bag. Then allow the camera to warm up to the ambient temperature before removing it from the bag. Peli cases are another option, but the large volume of the pelicase means there will be more moisture inside the case to condense and the insulating properties of the case mean that it could take many, many hours to warm up.

I don’t recommend storing a cold or damp camera in a Pelicase (or any other similar waterproof case) as there is nowhere for the moisture to go, so the camera will remain damp until the case is opened and everything dried out properly.

Rather than moving a camera repeatedly from outside to inside and repeatedly generating risky condensation you should consider leaving the camera outside. You can leave the camera outside provided it does not get below -25c. Below -25c you risk the LCD panel freezing and cracking. LCD  panels freeze at between -30 to -40c. If you are using a camera in very cold conditions and you notice the edges of the LCD screen going blue or dark you should start thinking about warming up that LCD panel as it may be close to freezing.

LCD displays will become slow and sluggish to respond in the cold. Your pictures may look blurry and smeary because of this. It doesn’t affect the recording, only what you see on the LCD.

Very often in cold regions houses will have an unheated reception room or porch. This is a good place to store your camera rather than taking it inside into the warm. Repeatedly taking a camera from cold to warm without taking precautions against condensation will shorten the life of your camera.

Li-Ion batteries are effected by the cold but they are not nearly as bad as Nicads or NiMh batteries which are all but useless below freezing. li-Ion battery life gets reduced by between 25 and 50% depending on how cold it is and the quality of the battery (very cheap cells may have a higher water content which can freeze causing the cell to dramatically lose capacity and the ability to deliver power).

Down to about -10c there is only a very marginal loss of capacity. Down to -25c you will lose about 20%-30% below -25c the capacity will fall away further and it becomes impossible to use the full capacity of the battery.

Keep your spare batteries in a pocket inside your coat or jacket until you need them. After use let the battery warm up before you charge it if you can. Charging a very cold battery will reduce the lifespan of the battery and it won’t fully charge. One top tip for shooting outside for extended periods is to get a cool box. Get some chemical hand warmers or electric rechargeable handwarmers and place them in the cool box with your batteries to keep them warm. If you don’t have hand warmers you can also use a hot water bottle.

If your lens has and snow or ice on it, don’t be tempted to breath or blow on the lens to blow the ice off.  Do not to breath on the lens when cleaning it as your warm breath will condense on the cold glass and freeze.  Also try to avoid breathing out close to the viewfinder.  When it is very cold and if you are warm in your nice thick winter clothes even standing close to the camera can lead to frost and ice building up on it.  Small amounts of sweat from your body will evaporate and this moisture will find its way to the camera, even if you are a few feet (1 or 2m) from it. If doing a timelapse of the Northern Lights, once the camera is running you should move away from the camera.

A small soft paint brush is good for keeping your lens clean as in very cold conditions you’ll simply be able to brush and snow or ice off. Otherwise a large lens cloth.

Your lens will get cold and in some conditions you will get frost on the front element. To help combat this wrap some insulating fabric around the body of the lens. Wrist sweat bands are quite good for this or an old sock with the toes cut off.  For time-lapse long sessions in very cold weather you might want to get a lens heater for the lens. These are normally 12 volt or USB powered and wrap around the lens. They don’t use lots of power but they do warm the lens just enough to keep the worst of the condensation, dew and frost off the lens. They are sometimes also called “dew heaters” and are sold by most good telescope suppliers.

Conventional plastic rain covers become brittle below about -15c and can even shatter like glass  below -20c. The clear plastic panels in other covers can also suffer the same fate. So use if you use a cover use one made out of fabric. Special insulated cold weather covers often called “polar bears” can be used and these often have pockets inside for chemical heat packs. These are well worth getting if you are going to be doing a lot of arctic shooting and will help keep the camera warm. As an alternative wrap the camera in a scarf or cut the sleeves of an old sweater to make a tube you can slide over the camera. If you have a sewing machine you could make a simple cover out of some fleece type material.

For DSLR’s and stills cameras a balaclava can be used to cover the camera body to provide some protection. However unheated covers don’t make a big difference when the camera is outside in very cold temperatures for extended periods, eventually the cold will get to it.

Plastics get brittle at low temperatures so be very gentle with anything plastic, especially things made from very hard, cheap plastic. The plastic Sony use appears to be pretty tough even at low temps. Wires and cables may become as rigid as a steel rod. Be gentle, bend then too much and the insulation may split and the cable break. I try to avoid bending any cable once it has become very cold.

Other considerations are tripods. If outside in very low temps for more than 30mins or so the grease in the tripod will become very thick and may even freeze, so your fluid damping will become either very stiff or freeze up all together. Contact your tripod manufacturer to see what temperatures their greases can be used over. Vinten and some of the other tripod companies can winterise the tripod and replace the normal grease with arctic grease. If you are unsure put your tripod head in your deep freeze at home for a few hours and see if it still works when you take it out.

I find that the best way to operate the camera is by wearing a pair of large top quality mittens (gloves are next to useless below -15c), Consider getting a pair of Army surplus arctic mittens, they are very cheap on ebay and from surplus stores and will normally have an additional “trigger finger”. This extra finger makes it easier to press the record button and things like that.  If you can get Swedish or Finnish military winter mittens, these are amongst the best. I wear a pair of thin “thinsulate” fleece gloves that will fit inside the mittens, i can then slip my hands in and out of the mittens to operate the camera. If you can get gloves with finger tips compatible with touch screens this will allow you to use any touch functions on a camera or your phone.

I keep a chemical hand warmer inside the mittens to warm my fingers back up after using the camera (or use heated mittens powered by a USB battery pack).

The hardest thing to keep warm is your feet. If you’ll be standing in snow or standing on ice then conventional hiking boots etc will not keep your feet warm. A Scandinavian trick if standing outside for long periods is to get some small twigs and tree branches to stand on and help insulate your feet from the cold ground. If your feet get cold then you are at risk of frostbite or frost nip. Invest in or hire some decent snow boots like Sorel’s or Baffin’s.  There is almost nothing worse than having ice cold feet when working. Don’t forget that if you do get cold, moving around, running on the spot etc will help get your circulation going help war you up. Also a flask with a hot drink is always welcome.  I have an arctic clothing guide here; Arctic Clothing Guide |

Great read mate. Wonder your thoughts about watering and notes for indoor. Some say it is better to give ph balanced water two or three times then give the nutes. Others say it is better to give notes every watering but at a lower dose than what bottles say. For example bottle says 5ml per liter in weeks 1-5 but does not say how many times per week to use. I understand maybe partly must be based on observation and reactions. Also what about carbon dioxide supplementation using those pills that disolve in water. Directions say to dissolve in water and turn off extractor for a few hours but the humidity spikes well over 60% at that time. Which this and excess heat can be problematic during bloom cycle. Also bottle says can be crushed and dissolved in water and fed to roots directly (in soil) wondering your thoughts about this too. Thanks in advance!

Hi, many thanks for your comment and questions. It"s always best to adjust the pH after adding all the nutrients and supplements to the water. Whether to add nutrients in each watering or not will depend on several factors, such as brand of nutrients you"re using (most are formulated to work by adding nutrients in every watering) or the growing medium you choose (for example, hydro and coco will definitely need nutrients every time, regardless of brand). Some brands of nutrients recommend starting with 50% of the recommended dosage as it"s far easier for a plant to recover from a lack of nutrients than from a serious excess of fertiliser.

As for the CO2, it"s most effective during the first 3 weeks of flowering, so high humidity pought not to be a huge issue as the flowers will only be relatively small and very unlikely to suffer from any mould problems at that stage. Even in later stages a few hours at RH 60%+ shouldn"t cause major issues as long as extraction is adequate the rest of the time. You can still leave the internal circulation fans on to move air within the grow space, in fact it"s a great idea as the CO2 is heavier than air and will sink to the bottom of the grow space if the air is not circulating. As for whether or not CO2 is absorbed by the roots, I"m unsure as plants principally absorb CO2 through the leaf stomata. Personally I"d focus on getting the most benefit from airborne CO2. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

I have some expensive seedlings that I allowed to get too cold over a couple of nights. They"re very stunted and seemed to quit growing. A couple seem to be making a slow comeback. I want to produce seeds from these seedlings. My question is, will the genetics of the seeds they produce be of lower quality because of the trauma off being stunted when they were a few weeks old ?

Hi Clay, thanks for your comment. Your seedlings should recover fully and while a cold period early in their development can definitely set them back in terms of growth and development, there"s no reason for any lasting effect on a genetic or epigenetic level as long as the plants are fully recovered by the time you make the seeds with them. Of course, if they continue to suffer one type of stress after another then it"s going to be a different story but if you give them the care they need then there"s no reason for any problems at all.

FWIW, while manicuring the prematurely-harvested Thai I have discovered four (4) seeds that appear "full-term" viable (a fair number of seed pods existed but were soft/crushable and had not yet managed to become matured seeds yet).

However, I don"t know if the "father" was the "hybrid" male that flowered and died and was removed about two weeks prior to the Thai males entering the flowering stage, about a month before the Thai females started to flower.

BTW, Tim, I"m pretty sure Neem Oil isn"t responsible for Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). The only common symptom between Neem oil / azadirachtin toxicity and CHS is the vomiting, Neem oil/azadirachtin toxicy also includes salivation, diarrhea, liver toxicity, and in extreme cases, convulsions, none of which is present in someone suffering from CHS, and is not relieved by hot showers as is the case with CHS.

Plus, CHS is only observed in some people that are long term, daily, high-quantity users , and it"s unlikely that they consume nothing but Neem treated cannabis which would be necessary to get to the exposure levels needed to induce the symptoms. If they stop consuming, the symptoms go away, but for most, if they start again, even with controlled untreated cannabis, they symptoms often return, so the link to Neem oil is very tenuous.

But yea.. I"m with you, I avoid putting anything at all on the plants when they gets to the flowering stage except a close eye and "digital controls" (thumb and forefinger).

Well, I was finally forced to pull the plant and put it in my curing room. Weather went from drizzle to all-day cold fog, and was forecast for hard rains followed by sub-freezing overnight temps, and botrytis was beginning to appear. The temp/humidity (80 f. and 35% rh) in the drying room stopped the botrytis dead in its tracks, only a couple small buds were lost.

Even as premature as the harvest was there were some decent tricomes present, and after about 24 hours into the "cure" I sampled one of the buds - couple tokes off a bowl later turned fatal for a brand new bag of Keebler chocolate chip cookies that my gal had picked up that morning.

I may take another shot at Thai next year, starting earlier and holding indoors longer before going outdoors (I started this year in late April and took the young plants - about 6" tall - outdoors as soon as we stopped overnight frost). Maybe start in early March, and then hope fall holds off a bit longer than it did this year.. we chilled down and went rainy about 3-4 weeks earlier than normal this year which really slowed the plants down.

Anyway, it looks like I"m not going to be disappointed by the crop, even though I couldn"t wait for flowering to complete and the seeds to mature. I"m growing these quite a few latitude lines north of their home turf after all, so I"m not overly surprised - either at how long it was taking, or that my initial fear of totally compromising potency with a premature harvest turned out to be unfounded. :-)

I can only wonder how stony this one would have been "if only"... (my recollections of my days in Thailand almost half a century ago put this one about 50%, which is more than sufficient given my current "senior, frail self". [LOL] )

Hey Mike, great to hear from you again. I"m really happy that you managed to harvest something that sounds pretty decent in the end and I"m glad the losses were bearable too! I"m really sorry to hear about the demise of those cookies though, I do hope you didn"t get into too much trouble for that! ;D

As for next year, while what you"re suggesting is a great idea for huge plants, another option could be to go the opposite way and starting later on in the season, but with a greater number of plants, so that you can get the same yields as one big plant but without them ending up quite so large, which could mean that maybe you"ve got a chance of giving them some kind of cover or protection when the bad weather comes around next autumn. Just a thought.

Hi Tim, back with an update: First, I harvested the hybrid at the first sign of mold and into my "drying room" (dehumidifier in a 6 x 12 closed room, keeps the temp around 80 degrees f (26 C) and 35-40% humidity.. and stopped that mold thing in its tracks. Part of the environment here in the US Pacific Northwet. Five days of curing and I cleaned and trimmed it up, got a bunch of seeds for next year, and a nice stash of pretty stony cannabis in spite of it not being sinsemila.

Had a few days here a couple weeks ago where the temps touched freezing over night - made sure they had some water before bed time, and then we went into an atypical (relatively) warm wet pattern - sporadic showers and temps between 40 and 55 f (4-12 C). The Thai female is slowly developing colas, and the Thai male is starting to die, having run its course and done its thing. I spotted developing seeds on the female yesterday, so fertilization is successful, now it"s just a race between the weather and the nature of the plant.

Gray, overcast, even foggy mornings, have slowed the maturity process to a crawl, but the Thai is still working on it. We have five more days of forecast "showers with occasional sun breaks" and temps continuing in the 40-55 f range before we hit a couple-three days of clear skies and sun, and temps dropping to freezing at night (with humidity @15%, which is good for the mold issue). I suspect the weather is going to force me to harvest in another week, within two fer sure, but I"m really surprised the weather hasn"t closed us out already. If anyone had said I"d be harvesting the end of November I"d have recommended a rehab facility to check out.

You suggested covering the plants, but at 12 - 13 feet (3.5 - 4m) tall that wasn"t practical, yet the Thais are pretty hearty as you noted, and I"m feeling lots more optimistic now about a successful grow than I was a month ago. I"ll do a wrap up post once it"s all "in the bag".

[ BTW, for Aaron (and others), I"ve found Neem Oil works really well keeping the bugs off.. I usually do a couple sprays a week apart a week or two after going in the ground and again later if anything reappears (particularly spray bottom up underneath the leaves).. my typical assailants are spider mites and aphids, but Neem is wide spectrum and it doesn"t take much to send the munchers away. It"s a bit pricy but a single bottle has lasted me more than two seasons now.

Hi Mike, great to hear from you again, thanks for the update! I"m very happy you got your hybrid harvested, got some smokeable herb and some seeds too, fantastic news! I feel you about the humidity, I live in the wettest part of Spain and I"m constantly facing the same problems.

I"m not entirely surprised by the Thai taking so long, some can go on flowering till January outdoors! I"d recommend keeping her going as long as you can, but keep an eye on the maturing seeds, once they"re looking brown you can harvest them. I understand that the weather might make this a bit complicated, but it"d be a shame to end up with immature, green seeds that won"t germinate. If things get really bad maybe harvest everything except for a couple of well-seeded flowers to see if they"ll finish properly.

As for Neem Oil, yes I"m a big fan of it, it deals with insect plants and fungal pathogens as well as feeding the plant and generally improving health. As you already know, it"s important not to use it on the flowers, and I like to stop using it well before flowering begins, just to be on the safe side. I know there has recently been some talk of Neem being unhealthy for humans, with some people even blaming it for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. I"m not sure if there"s any truth in this, but there"s no harm in making sure there"s no neem residue on anything intended for smoking.

All the best of luck for the rest of the season. Please update us when the Thai finally gets harvested, I"m really curious as to how long you can keep her alive in those conditions. Great work so far, well done!

I currently (oh yes, on 10/26/19) have a King Tut that is almost done. There were two nights in september that the temps dropped below 29F, and so I had the plants covered for those two nights. Then I read your article. I have not actually covered them since, and the lowest it has gotten is about 30F and the KT showed no signs of ill health but it is slowing down. It was taken outside in mid July IIRC, I am going to push it about one more week before the high temps stop going above 50. They look very nice under a magnification.

To stop mold issues (that other much more experienced growers local to my region have told me about) I actually have a couple small, oscillating fans around it that kick on to keep the air moving if dew is possible.

Hi Aaron, thanks for your comment and questions. Sounds like you"re doing pretty well indeed for your first outdoor grow, nice work! Great idea to use the fans to improve air movement. How are you powering them, solar or mains electricity? I"ve looked into solar-powered fans for my off-grid outdoor plot and greenhouse, but nothing has convinced me yet.

As for the flowering time of your King Tut, I"m not familiar with the genetics so it"s hard to say, but most everything but the longest-flowering Sativas ought to be ready around this time, give or take a few weeks. How is the plant looking in general? Is it showing signs of senescence such as the leaves fading from green to autumnal colours? Are the flowers still pushing out fresh white pistils or are they all brown and shrivelled now? If the plant still looks like it wants to keep going, then leave it as long as you can before cutting her down. A few days of cold temperatures before harvesting can help to increase resin production and produce some lovely purple colours in some varieties. Just as long as the plant isn"t hit by an early frost you"ll be fine.

And about the aphid-infested clone, hopefully, the ladybirds will deal with the problem this time. In future, you could try a number of things. The first thing I"d do is try physically removing them, either squshing them by hand, shaking, or spraying with a water jet that"s powerful enough to dislodge the insects but not so powerful that it damages the plant. This is a great way to get rid of the majority of the infestation very quickly, before applying any kind of insecticide.

Insecticidal soap usually works fairly well as part of an organic IPM program but it"s best to alternate between soaps and oils like neem or karanja, as well as pyrethrin-based insecticides in serious cases (be aware that all of these will kill ladybirds). I"m not sure why the soap treatment would have had a negative effect on the plant though, I"ve never seen that myself. Are you sure it was the correct concentration? Diatomaceous Earth is another great organic option that will work very well against aphids and other insects. Garlic products like Aliosan and nettle products such as Urtifer are also effective against aphids.

Hi Tim, Thanks for the feedback - just checked the hybrid, lots of seed pods, but not developed yet.. (dissected a pod looking for a hard seed inside but not yet, so still not time). It looks like the heartiness of the Thai is going to be tested.. what we call a "pineapple express" (stretches back to Hawaii) is arriving tonight and it"s a long train a"commin.. rain predicted to start tailing off a week from this Thursday, should get 30+ mph (50 kph) wind guests (steady 10-15 mph/20-25 kph) over the next day or two. Grow area is relatively shielded but vulnerable to the south (which is where the wind will come out of, and the Thai is in full sails-unfurled to that direction). So we"ll see. At least the wind should help keep the mold growth environment somewhat unfavorable. (Maybe I"ll get a leaf blower for the back half of the front when the winds die down {ROFL})

Yea, I"m hoping to be able to do some analysis on the harvest afterwards (mathematical expression: "smoke sum"), so if given the choice between unsmokable seed bearing and somewhat smokable seedless, I"m not sure what I"ll chose at this point, Wish I had two Thai females - maybe if it gets to that (in)decision point I"ll "split the baby" and cull half the plant for curing to save what I can and let her focus energy on the remaining buds and see what happens.

I"ll give a "harvest report" late next month and share the cheers or tears however it works out. Looks from the Global Infared you have a "Bermuda Express" pointed at you so stoke the hearth and break out the Pais Vasco, and best of luck to you as well.. Adios por ahora..

Hi Tim, Just found your blog, while looking for answers to a couple questions I have.. Like a few others, this isn"t my first rodeo, but I am in a new arena, so to speak, and with an unfamiliar strain wrt growing (not consuming..). I"m up in the Puget Sound region, and I"m growing Thai (from seeds I got while in Chang Mai this past Jan.). Whole different clime and place than their genetics are conditioned for. OK, they"re huge.. 13"+, next to a couple of hybrids of unknown parentage to keep them company, two Thai plants, on male, one female. Male has flowered and is just on the cusp of dropping pollen. The female is just starting to develop colas..(and the hybrids, about 4" tall are just on the verge of harvest). Yes, I"m going for seeds, so I"ve been pretty much hands off and letting nature do what it does). Outdoor ground grow (MG garden soil bed), and this year winter is on the fast track.. I"m getting the fall/cold rains about 3-4 weeks earlier than "normal" (assuming there"s any "normal" up here). The weather-guessers forecast a solid week and a half of rain showers and cloud cover, temps upper 50s to lower 40"s (13-4.5c). I"m not worried about post-harvest rot (my drying room is dehumidified -and can maintain 40% easily - I learned that lesson last year with my Jack Herers). My first question concerns the Thai female flowering - these plants - almost 6 mos old - are on schedule (for Thailand), but have definitely slowed with the less than normal (for them) daylight and temps, they did great with the extended sun hours up here (hence height), but now I"m in unfamiliar territory for me - extended rain during the flowering period. I note here in the Pacific "Northwet" that won"t last forever (usually anyway). Since the female isn"t even close to harvest and they"re too tall to cover, what to expect going forward?

The second has to do with the hybrid females..big colas, seeds prolific (hybrid males died and were pulled a week ago) but still in green sheaths. Again, sans weather, I"d let them sit at least another week or more, but since this is the first time I"ve grown cannabis for seeds, I"m not sure how to tell when those should be pulled, especially given the pending rain in the immediate future.

Hi Mike, thanks for your comment and questions. Wow, those Thai plants sound impressive! I"ve grown a Chiang Mai hybrid (crossed with Kali China) outdoors here in Northern Spain and it went really late but still did very well considering the humidity and low temps. I"d venture to say that the pure Thai would be even more resistant to these conditions, particularly the humidity. Low temperatures will be a little more problematic but in my experience, these plants can be very hardy indeed. The only issue might be that the maturation of the seeds could be slowed down by the cold.

When I make seeds, I like to allow at least 4-5 weeks after pollination for the seeds to mature fully. If I can leave them for longer, then that"s even better. I like it when the seeds are so mature that they"re almost falling off the buds! Now, in cold and humid conditions you really do have to be careful about mould, especially botrytis, which is systemic and may well be passed on to the next generation via the seeds. If there"s any way of covering the maturing buds, particularly on the smaller hybrids where the denser buds can cause issues, then that"s going to be a big help in avoiding mould problems. Otherwise, you"ll just have to keep a really close eye on them, ready to act at the first sign of any infection.

Indeed, if the plants were going to be used only for seeds, and I had no intention of smoking the flowers, I"d be using some kind of organic fungicide, possibly copper sulphate, to help ensure they stay fungi-free till harvest! Of course, if you were planning to smoke or make hash from the buds, then that"s a non-starter!

Hi Terilyn, if that"s the minimum temperature then it"s not too much of a problem, presuming daytime temps get up to something a bit higher. If that"s the highest temperature, then yes, it"s too cold for outdoor growing.

Brown pistils can simply mean that the plant is beginning to wind down and finish flowering, it"s not necessarily a problem to worry about. Pistils will also turn brown and shrivel once pollination has taken place, so it might be worth checking around for male plants or possible hermaphrodite traits on female plants, just to be certain.

Hi Brian my plants are ready to be harvested and it rained for a good two days and now we"re having a cold front push in talk in a low of 35 tonight and then for the next 3 or 4 days it"s going to be sunny into the 60s should I try to harvest it tonight or just wait for the sun to come out and dry everything up

Hi James, thanks for your question, it"s always a tough call. I"d examine the plants and see if there"s any sign of mould first. If they"re looking solid then I"d leave them out for a few days to make the best of the good weather before harvesting them. If, however, you"re seeing bud rot (botrytis) then, depending on the gravity of the infection, you can either remove any affected areas and leave the plants for a few days, or simply cut your losses and harvest the plants before the mould spreads and spoils the rest of the plant. I"ve had the same dilemma myself this year, some plants have withstood serious rains with no problem, while others have very quickly gone from kush to mush in the few days after the rain.

Hi i have a question,i have a plant that has already been flowering and does have a little of orange hairs going but its supposed to be only a high of 59,low 60"s.should i have them outside?i dont have a indoor or anything.and it gets to 46 at night

Hi Brian, those kind of nighttime temperatures aren"t low enough to cause any damage, and as long as it"s warm during the day you should be fine. You could try covering plants with horticultural fleece overnight to protect them a little, or move them indoors at night (as long as they stay in the dark, of course), but really I"d only be concerned about frosts, which could kill the plant. All the best and happy harvesting!

The part about the cold saying that if it gets below 65f 18c degrees most plants will struggle??? I have to highly and I mean highly disagree with this statement. It really all depends on strain while northern lights likes cool climates African landrace seeds tend to like warm dry weather it doesn’t mean they won’t flower or won’t produce.... maybe your thinking about if plants are in pre flower and these temps happen but again I’m not so sure.... I have done pheno tests for strains that I like due to my cold climate I have done some crazy things to plants and only seen a select few clam up and become unresponsive almost like a nutrient lock but that was when plants experienced hard cold while just starting to flower or in pre flower.....I have plants going and I haven’t seen a day above 65f in about of week my plants are outdoors nights have been as low as 38 f and they are loving it getting fatter and sticker daily. Strains are legend of Nigeria, purple dream Hindu Kush and granddaddy purple crossed with nyc sour desiel.... I would recommend all of these strains for cold late flowering conditions...

Hi Aj, thanks very much for your input. I think it depends greatly on genetics, some varieties will deal with cold weather very well, like Hindu Kush and other genetics originating from high altitude mountain areas, where temperatures can get very low. Other varieties such as tropical Sativa genetics will definitely struggle with low temperatures. All the best and happy growing!

This is a great website. I was looking for information on cool temperature effects on my maturing plants. I have one AC/DC clone that has grown about 6-7 feet with many branches covered with thin, whispy buds, several hybrid clones (Sativa dominant), and some Thai indicas, that are about 7 feet tall without any sign of sex. Aside from the Thais, all are well into flowering, with mostly clear trichomes, and we have just hit a cold snap with temperatures down around 44 degrees at night and into the 70s in the day time. Should I be worried, or just stay the course for a normal crop?

Hi Mark, big thanks for the comment and your kind words. At this stage in the season, with the trichomes still clear, there"s not much you can do apart from wait and see. It"s too soon to pull the plants early if all the trichs are clear, it would be a total waste of all your hard work. That kind of temperature isn"t ridiculously low, plants will carry on growing right down to nearly freezing, and the daytime temps are good for flowering, as long as there"s no frost, I think you"ll be fine. If things get really bad, you could try covering your plants overnight with horticultural fleece, it should protect a little, and breathe enough to avoid condensation building up, although your 7ft-tall plants may well look like giant ghosts!

In my experience, pollinated plants generally don"t mature any faster or slower than non-seeded plants, but if you want to get large, healthy and vigorous seeds then you"ll need to harvest at the optimal time for the seeds, rather than for the flowers or trichomes. I often let seeded plants go for a week or two longer than non-seeded plants, just to ensure the seeds are fully mature. At this point, all the trichomes are amber and the buds are slightly past their peak, although this also depends on personal tastes.

Hi Cindy, thanks for your question. Apologies for the delay in replying, I had some time off work. The purple colours shown by cannabis plants are dependant on a range of factors, but principally it"s down to genetics. Some plants (like ACE Seeds Violeta) will develop purple flowers in almost all plants from the very beginning, regardless of conditions, whereas some plants will start flowering as a green colour, developing purple tinges as flowering goes on, particularly when temperatures are relatively low at the end of the blooming period. However, these characteristics can only be displayed in plants genetically disposed to colour. Some varieties will remain green, no matter how cold they get.

Hi Austin, thanks for your question, sorry for the delay in responding. If your greenhouse doesn"t have mains connection for an electric heater, you could use a paraffin heater to keep the temperatures. If buying a heater isn"t practical, you could try covering the plants with horticultural fleece overnight to insulate them from the worst of the cold. Other more or less practical approaches could include, for example, a large black barrel filled with water to accumulate heat from sunshine during the day and slowly release it at night, or a big pile of fresh manure that would generate heat as it decomposed, although both of these would occupy space within the greenhouse.

Howdy , growing pineapple chunk in southern Australia, outdoors , plants are into 2-3 weeks of flowering , but the nights are now becoming quite cold, is it possible to move indoors where there are plants at 18-6 hour light ratio , would this be too confusing for plants , which outdoors probably are getting 12-14 hours of light per day. The weather will continue to decrease in temp as the days go by, love to here what your view is ?

Hi Jill, thanks for your question. I definitely wouldn"t advise moving the plants indoors if the lights are on 18/6 as this will halt the flowering process and provoke re-vegetation which will really stress them (and you!) out, and they"ll take a long time to readjust when you put them back outside again. At this point, the best you can do is to give them some kind of shelter on cold nights, even if it"s as simple as moving them next to a building for extra warmth and draping a horticultural fleece or a sheet of plastic over them (although fleece would be better as it won"t cause condensation). But more than anything it"s vital to keep them away from light sources that could interrupt the natural flowering cycle, so street lamps, exterior lights on houses, billboards etc are all things that must be considered.

What temp does the water I am giving my plants need to be? I had been giving them room temp and everything is good but I"ve read that watering them with cold water, not freezing just like out of the fridge, will increase trichome production. Is any of that true or would I be hurting my plants? I did water one with cold water that has been in flowering stage for 9 weeks. It"s a sativa and the trichomes are still clear. And the colas the next few days did seem to have ALOT more trichomes.

Hi Tim, thanks for the question. I"ve definitely heard of people doing a cold water flush for the last week or so of flowering to increase trichome production. Putting cold water onto the roots is always going to cause some mild shock, and it won"t do the microbial life of the soil many favours either, but during the last few weeks as the plant s winding down to harvest that is of lesser importance, so I don"t see any reason not to try it. Whether it works or not is a different issue. To find out if it"s just another stoner myth (as I suspect it might be) you"d have to run the same clone in the same grow space in the same conditions, but flush one with cold water while you treat the other normally. Then you"d be able to see if there"s any notable difference between the two.

I have a plant in my green house its oct 24th and at night it gets down to -2 right now but the plant seems to be doing good still how long can I keep it in there the hairs are all still white for the most part

Hi Brad, I"m happy to hear your plant is doing so well in the cold weather, some cannabis genetics are much more able to deal with these types of temperatures than others, and yours seems nice and hardy. In your position I"d simply keep a close eye on it, and as soon as you see any signs of it suffering from the cold, then I"d start thinking about harvesting. It"s a balance between cutting too early and losing some flowers to possible mould issues.

Heres a question for you. If you harvest freah flowers with seeds in them and freeze before drying would it sterilize the seeds? What about at -30f ?

Hi, I am waiting to harvest my first grow in western Colorado at 7000 ft