Removing the flower always brings controversy, but like you said, sometimes there are good reasons for doing so. I sometimes do it with my orchids. Especially the precious types. If I just bought them and they're not the strongest, I remove the flowers to let the orchid grow stronger first, before enjoying the flowers. With my tomatoes, I also remove the whole branches, so at least a few fruits have a chance to fully mature before our short summer ends.

I loved reading about your garden. You have many healthy plants and I love your experiments with hydropinics. I also grow most of my orchids semi-hydropolically. Some love it, some are not keen on it ;)