I just bought my house last june and was told the previous owners brought in the soil for this garden. The neighbors said he had a good garden every year. I have not done a soil test yet. I have increased the watering and the plants are looking a little better (except for litte black flies on the new growth on the bean plants I think they are thrips..) but nothing Is growing great. I have another jalapeno plant that I planted by the house and not In the garden that Is probably 2x as big as the one planted at the same time In the garden. It Is planted In a small bed that looks like It had regular soil mixed with gardening soil. I prepared the soil by turning it with a shovel as deep as I could get it and adding about half a bag of black kow brand composted manure and turned it in real well. This is not a raised bed garden. I have some tomato tone and some garden tone coming that I was going to use on my next days off. I am also thinking of doing a soil test.and then adding the tomato tone and garden tone. Any other ideas on what I should do?

Let me assure you that it is not normal. The affected plants' new growth is now very stunted, the new leaves are primarily yellow, stunted and curved/cupped inward dramatically and the growth is 6-8 inches below the unaffected plants, which are doing very well comparatively. I'd be happy to post pictures of the progression of this issue if anyone thinks it will be useful. Unfortunately the 60k size limit for pics on this forum makes it difficult to show detail/close-ups.

You topped the pepper plants so they will get bushy rather than taller. Those side shoots will eventually grow taller and more upwards but in only two weeks after topping you are probably seeing some minor growth but in a few more weeks they should take off.

Thank you Matt. To add some additional background ... I’ve been caring for fiddle leaf figs for about four years. First in NJ, where it was much more humid, and for the past almost-two years in Colorado. I’m always learning but I’m not a complete novice with judging when my plants need water. I can tell when the largest leaves begin to droop, by the weight of the pot, how the soil feels when I insert my finger, etc. I also realize the climate, type of soil, type of pot, etc. can all contribute to its watering needs. I didn’t suspect I was over watering when I originally posted, but Al’s suspicion led me to look for additional ways to test his theory. While the electronic toys you referred to aren’t 100% accurate, for a very small investment they provide another piece of data that can help diagnose and solve the problem. As does the wooden skewer method you recommended, which is another good indicator, but again, not perfect. (Two people may determine what feels moist vs. dry differently, they may not insert it deeply enough, etc.) I suspect from clicking around that you’re letting your frustrations from other threads carry over into this one. But please note this was my first-ever post on Houzz, and your condescending tone makes it difficult to take your advice in the spirit I’m sure it was intended.