help please

hi people. i've had a closet grow for 3 years with varying success. in the past, i've had dense tasty nuggs. now something seems to be lacking. i just wanted to run a few things by some of the more experienced growers on the forum. a little background on my grow:

2'x4' tent
400w hps
5 gallon grow bags
grow medium is a coco/perlite mixture
i use botanicare nutes at 1/3 directed strength
nutes used are pure blend pro grow and bloom
i also use many of their suppliments
method of watering is top feed
flush 1.5 weeks before harvest

if there is anything specific you need to know to help me, feel free to ask.

in the past, my plants were greener. now they start yellowing 2 weeks before my final flush. also, i used to cure for about 10 days with great results. now, my weed tastes harsh and doesn't burn right. i think i'm screwing up the drying and curing process. when the weed goes into jars it still has some moisture. i'm afraid of letting it get too dry.

my first question is... do i need to increase Nitrogen in late bloom? should the plant stay green throughout the grow? am i using too weak of a nutrient solution? i just added a step in my feeding schedule where i flush 3-4 weeks into flowering. i haven't done it so no results yet.

i've read the drying and curing guides but still feel lost. my harvests are usually pretty small so i find it hard to gauge humidity levels in my bud. i will jar them when they feel crispy and stems barely bend. if the buds feel wet after a day in the jar, i'll put them in a paper bag to remove some moisture. after maybe 3 hours, they go back in a jar. i'm under the impression a slow dry is better than fast. should i dry it out even more?

i think i need a new perspective. any help would be appreciated. i can post pictures in necessary. thanks for your time.

1/3 strength just sounds weak...Do you have a tds meter and ph meter? They will allow you to increase nutrients without guessing.

If you do flush running nitrogen right to the end will not hurt anything and actually keeps the plants happier. Not sure about the cure and taste but usually a quick dry has a lot to do with taste and putting into jars too wet will cause mold.

How do you harvest? I remove the bud from its stem and leaves place it on a rack in a grow tent then vent the tent in and out. It takes 4-5 days with a little fan moving the air inside the tent. Drawing straight household air is all I do myself.

Good Luck

thanks for the quick reply. no tds meter but i do ph my water. usually somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5. i just use a vial and drop of tester solution. my plants actually look really healthy until the very end. a couple weeks before i flush, my plant starts looking pale, then leaves turn yellow. i think your right, my nutrient solution is too weak. i think its a somewhat simple problem and i will definately rewrite my feed schedule. i'm still a little hung up on the drying and curing process. if the buds are still squishy i'll dry them longer. never had a problem with mold. the best way i can explain it is after they sweat in a jar, i expose them to air and repeat the process until my stems snap. when i harvest, i cut each branch and trim it. sometimes i hang the whole stem, other times i put it on a rack. the reason behind leaving buds on the stem is to slow drying. my logic could be flawed though. back to drying though... do you dry until the stems firmly snap? what is the perfect tell-tale sign that its ready to be jarred? should i invest in a hygrometer like the guides say? how can i avoid over drying? i feel like i dry slow enough. its usually 6-8 days for me. i appreciate the help and discussion.