Thin Wispy Foliage - Chinense types

[TexasHotPeppers]

Hi all,
 
I've been growing peppers for many years and haven't come across this before.
 
About 2+ weeks ago almost all my Chinense varieties in large plastic pots started getting thing wispy foliage, many of the leaves curling down. This year I did my own soil mix, its a combination of peat moss, compost, perlite, Espome Garden Tone, myco, and a bit of Texas Greensand and Lava sand. I don't believe the problem is the soil mix as my Anuums in 5 gallon fabric pots don't seem to be having this problem (and are relatively healthy)  whereas about 90% of the Chinense are (they are all in larger plastic pots vs the fabric pots)
 
The Chinense varieties were all dark green and healthy with very large leaves up until just the last couple weeks. the wispy thin foliage seems to be just at a standstill (though still very dark green!?).  I've checked for mites, thrips, and aphids, and other than a very few random aphids I don't see any problems with bugs.  The plants actually seem to be putting out a lot of flowers though they seem to be pollenless.
 
I'm hoping someone can help with this based on the uploaded pics. They aren't the greatest quality but am hoping for some feedback.
 
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af4/garthdavis1971/7potprimofoliage_zps93991f41.jpg
 
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af4/garthdavis1971/Anna-20140609-00357_zps42feab29.jpg
 
I do have a few potential theories:
 
1) I've been doing Aact compost tea with earthworm castings. I had some leftover tea that I used as a drench (used a 1:1 ratio of tea to water) Wondering if I gave them too much (though i've heard others say you can't overdo it, but I wonder)
 
2) I did spray my lawn with some broadleaf weed killer. I tried not to get anywhere near the peppers but wonder if some managed to get on these plants. Doesn't really explain the Anuums not being affected, though the Chinense leaves were/are significantly bigger on these plants.
 
3) The roots have reached the bottom of these containers and there is a buildup of something?
 
I'm wondering if at this point I should really soak these plants and let any excess (of whatever) drain out?
 
Note that I've also sprayed Cal-Mag a couple times thinking it might be a Calcium deficiency but that doesnt seem to be it.

 

[Seacowboy]

Nute burn maybe.

 

[hogleg]

Maybe add recent weather to help broaden the scope of causes. In my experience those black pots can make your soil screaming hot in direct sun all day, in say 90F+ weather. I still use em cause its what i got, but sometimes I feel the need to shade them when its really hot. Not sure if this is the cause but hope it helps.

 

[juanitos]

i doubt it is container size or nute burn. Weed killer i think would affect most of the plants not just chins. 
 
Nutrient deficiency is my guess. 
1. Phosphorus deficiency 
http://juanitospeppers.com/media/SEM-12095_PepperDiseases_8p5x11_072313.pdf
 
I'd give them a full strength fertilizer that contains macro and micro nutrients and pause the tea / foliar stuff(i don't like it, i'm sure somone will disagree). This will give you a baseline letting you know for sure there is no nutrient problem. If problem persists you can go another route. 
I recommend Dyna Grow Foliage Pro or Gen Hydro flora series
 
2. Check the roots
Pull a plant out of the container and look for problems

 

[Spicy Mushroom]

I'll second the black pot concerns. I have 2 of my peppers in black pots. Now that my temps are hitting 100s+ those particular ones are struggling. The only time they aren't wilting is at night regardless of watering.
 
Can you take a photo of what's building up on the roots?

 

[PepperLover]

i am afraid this is broad mites

 

[geeme]

Sorry you're not getting a clear-cut answer - without seeing the plants in person, it's sometimes hard to tell from pics.
 
Mites can cause that kind of problem with new growth. Broad mites usually go after more established growth. They eat the cell contents, leaving what initially appear to be holes on the broad surface of the leaf (rather than the edge, which is why they are called broad mites.) However, there are a ton of mite types out there. To see if you have some of the smallest mites, a jeweler's loupe of 30x is needed, along with patience. Broad mites are only one of the ones that are too small to see with the naked human eye. If you do an extensive search and find no mites, likely you can eliminate that option. Note that many mites inject chemicals into the plant as they eat - it is those chemicals that cause the odd shapes of the new growth.
 
The weed killer could have impacted it, as well, or could entirely be the problem. Droplets carried on the wind could have easily gotten to the plants. 
 
Lastly, the more established growth on the 7-pot does look somewhat like early signs of fert burn - the leaves appear to be a bit puckered instead of relatively smooth. However, it is also possible this was caused by the weed killer, instead.