Homegrown vs. dispensary - rookie question

[kenb]

For those of you who have experience with both well-run indoor home grows and dispensary flower—how does properly grown and cured home flower actually compare in real-world use?

• How noticeable is the difference in freshness between home-grown flower and dispensary bud?
• Does home flower retain more volatile terpenes simply because it hasn’t been irradiated, stored, transported, and handled as long?
• Have you found that dispensary flower often feels “over-dried” compared to a properly cured home grow?
• Many people say “once you have good home-grown, you don’t go back.” Has that been true for you, and why or why not?
• Are there situations where you still prefer dispensary flower over your own?

I’m mid-flower on my first serious indoor run and trying to set realistic expectations beyond the hype.

 

[Phyto]

For those of you who have experience with both well-run indoor home grows and dispensary flower—how does properly grown and cured home flower actually compare in real-world use?

• How noticeable is the difference in freshness between home-grown flower and dispensary bud?

Home grown, if properly cured is much fresher than dispensary weed.

• Does home flower retain more volatile terpenes simply because it hasn’t been irradiated, stored, transported, and handled as long

Yes, in my experience.

• Have you found that dispensary flower often feels “over-dried” compared to a properly cured home grow?

Almost always.

• Many people say “once you have good home-grown, you don’t go back.” Has that been true for you, and why or why not?

you can usually grow better weed than you can get in a dispensary, provided you start with good genetics. I rarely buy bud at a dispensary anymore, unless there’s something really interesting.

• Are there situations where you still prefer dispensary flower over your own?

Yes, but not very often.

I’m mid-flower on my first serious indoor run and trying to set realistic expectations beyond the hype.

 

[ArtfulCodger]

In general, I think good home-grown beats dispo bud for the reasons you ask about, but to me, those aren't even the main advantages of growing your own. Home-grown also offers:

• The opportunity to run longer-flowering varieties. Most commercial growers won't run a 14-week haze in space that can run an 8-weeker. The retail market won't support a 75% price premium for product that takes 75% longer to mature.
• The opportunity to let flower mature longer. 40% amber is a delicacy we probably can't find in a dispo, if you like that mellow body high..
• Repeatability. When you find a pheno you love, you can clone it and run it forever.
• The opportunity to grow lower-THC-potency genetics that have fantastic entourage effects. The retail market cares mostly about THC rating, so dispos aren't psyched to carry something at 12%, regardless of how wonderfully it smokes.
• Confidence that you're growing and consuming the genetics you think you're growing and consuming. (Assuming you shop smart for genetics.)

Just some ideas.

 

[Hossgrows]

Definitely home grown, all the way.

Then there's the difference between indoor and outdoors. Outdoors typically creates stronger terp profiles.

But it still comes down to personal likes.