its totaly normal for the lower leaves to die off.
but u didnt mention height which is a key factor
alot of thin stalk is caused by "stretching" which is a light seeking behavior.
if its short with thin stalk, in unprepared ground, it could be lockout but is more likely to b a ph issue.
and yes ph problems can and do cause lockout.
but first look at how much direct sunlight it gets in a day