The main purpose of chlorophyll is to capture photons of energy. When growth is no longer a priority for a plant in nature, it will naturally sink its "no longer needed" nitrogen and switch pigments to carotene and anthocyanin, which are better-suited pigments for environmental protection rather than capturing photons (growth). This is because of all nutrients used by a plant, nitrogen in its nitrate form is highly stable and required for the rigours of electron capture, ammoniacal nitrogen readily evaporates into the air during cure/dry. The ripening stage is no longer about growth, but the main priority is protecting trichomes and opening up the oxidative capacity of the plant so it can focus 100% of filling those trichomes. Nitrogen in its elemental nitrate form is no longer required during ripening to the same degree as it was; the vast majority of growth is over. Understanding when to shift a plant's focus from rapid growth to maturation is the key to maximizing the trichome quality and terpene profile of the final product. That is the single most important decision you will make during a grow in terms of dictating smoothness, taste, and smell, I have found from my limited years of dedicated and driven study into the matter.
Synthetic nutrients maintain a near full nitrate ratio comparable to ammoniacal nitrogen, whereas organic nutrients maintain a supply of ammoniacal and convert only to nitrate what is needed. This is far more beneficial for organic growers when it comes to smoke smoothness, as the higher levels of ammoniacal nitrogen are far easier to dispose/convert than nitrates come harvest, cure/dry with far more efficient margins held within leaf/bud when it comes to conversion to aminos. A good dry and cure can go a long way to a quality smooth smoke, but without a proper senescence sequence or triggered autophagic sink of nitrogen, then you will be asking far more than can be expected from a dry/cure. It's one thing to sink the last 5-10% and convert the last drips to amino acids during the dry and cure, but leaving the plant fully charged with nitrogen in the form of nitrate is simply not going to taste good, no matter how much smoke you blow up your own ass or how long you have been growing. Means nothing. Smoke quality relies on pre-harvest physiology, not just the dry and cure! The dry and cure cannot fix poor pre-harvest metabolic states. A high-quality, smooth smoke requires correct signalling before harvest. While a proper dry and cure can gently soften the edges and convert the last 5-10% of sugars into amino acids, it fundamentally cannot perform magic on a fully fertilised plant. You cannot oxidise stable nitrates (+5 charge) into a smoother state during drying. Ultimately, accept it's going to be a heavy smoke and be grateful, onwards upwards!
The way in which ammoniacal nitrogen reacts to carbon sugars is critical in how it acts during oxidation and is responsible for oxidizing leftover sugars that can make the buds smoke harshly. Limited ammoniacal equals limited oxidation of excess carbons held within tissues. Just so you know, it's not an anecdotal rule that's unresolved and unsubstantiated. It's called the Maillard reaction. Signal triggers and stressors. Normally, you can only use 10-30% ammoniacal nitrogen, but as harvest closes, it is beneficial to increase this ratio 50% of ammoniacal as it assists in steering the plant towards maturation. Rather than running 50% ammoniacal nitrogen continuously until harvest, use it in short, targeted flushes/additions (e.g., 7 days) to slow internode elongation and hasten maturity. Use alongside forced larger "dry backs" (allowing the root zone to dry out significantly between watering events). Raising the Electrical Conductivity EC of the medium to create mild osmotic stress. Widening the day-to-night temperature difference and increasing the vapour pressure deficit VPD.
How would you like your cola's sir? Arm length, please, no gaps with trichomes as thick as snow.