Leaf miners. My first response to such an infestation is #1 in the below excerpt from the linked website:

1. Pinch mined leaves to crush the larvae inside or remove and destroy them. This is the primary control.
2. Many parasitoids attack leaf miners, to the extent that leaf miner
   outbreaks are associated with pesticide use, which suppresses parasitoid
   activity.
3. Pesticides are ineffective. Leafminers are resistant to many insecticides and difficult to spray directly.
4. Use floating row cover to prevent egg laying.
5. Till the soil in early spring to disrupt life cycle and kill over-wintering pupae.
6. Remove all host weed species around the garden, such as chickweed, lambsquarters, nightshade, and plantain.

Univ. of Maryland Extension page on this insect: https://extension.umd.edu/growit/insects/leafminer

Otherwise your plant looks healthy. Being from NJ, USDA Zone 7, I'm not familiar with the needs of plants in your climate, but it seems as though you may possibly be overdoing the fertilizer and neem oil ... However, I defer to those with more experience in the southern states.

agardenstateof_mind, Thank you kindly for your help! Do you think my little plants are still salvageable? Whenever a leaf is a goner, I cut it somewhat close to the main stem (hope that I'm using the correct terminology here.) It's two or three leaves at a time, and when I'm done taking those out, there goes another three...it's such a vicious cycle that I'm scared that I'll never get a single leaf to actually reach maturity. :( I see some minor yellowing, and Professor Google (lol) says that it's time for some Epsom salt, so I gave it to them late this afternoon and will report back with pictures tomorrow morning!

Again, agardenstateof_mind, you're the best! :)

I've tried to set up a tumblr to help visually keep track of what's going on. I'm sure that I'll get aggravated and quit in a month or so (hehe) http://idiotgardenexperiment.tumblr.com/ Afraid that I'll be out of town tomorrow morning and will return Sunday afternoon, which is probably for the best so that I won't be outside checking on them every hour. It's going to storm non stop, so they're under the patio this weekend.

THANK YOU so much for that link, it's really helpful and informative!

To my eyes I see healthy plants. Some type of damage from some type of pest is to be expected. I agree with the advice above and suggest that these plants want to grow and flourish. All you need to do is give them the basic circumstances to do so.

I hear a plant enthusiast....are you growing for vegetables and finding yourself loving watching them grow? If so, there is a container growing forum you might enjoy. ;)

posierosie_zone7a, Oh la la, thank you for the suggestion. I'm becoming an utter nut, and it's getting on my old man's nerves! Hehe. Sometimes I catch myself staying up too late watching gardening videos, I love learning and hearing everyone's advice and tips. Thanks again for the forum suggestion. Going right now. :)

Enjoy! It is a rewarding pursuit!

Why don't you take one and plant it in the ground to see any difference. I never had any luck with container gardens. These plants look very healthy to me except for some foliage. If you have large plants and no fruit it may be a pollination problem.