If everything was cool for a month and now you're plants are having problems, maybe your soil is totally cool you've just depleted it. And it's time to fresh soil and bigger pots. A month is a long time in a two gallon pot for a plant that was already a month old.
"Rootbound" is kind of a specific condition that isn't supposed to happen in a smart pot. If it's possible to just have too many roots packing your pot so tight that it's hard to water correctly, all the water just runs out the sides before it penetrates the soil. When peat gets a little dry it can repel water, so even though you dumped some water on it isn't effective. Then, when your soil dries out your microbes can go dormant, causing problems for your plants. In the picture your soil looks pretty dry, are you sure your your dirt is moist enough?