first i just have to say that i really appreciate the wisdom and generosity of this tribe. it seems like every other day i have some simple little question that i really should know, and that i feel silly asking about, and yet i ask, and you all answer, and don't make me feel like an idiot. so thank you!

so my question of the day is, how big do tomatoes need to get before you let them flower? mine are about a foot tall and it seems like i pick the flower buds off every single day. they're actually twice that tall, i trench planted them, they've been growing since mid-february. and they really want to bloom! i've only grown starts from the nursery before, and i remember them being at least 3 feet tall before they even started to think about flowering. so maybe mine are happier? or maybe they're more stressed? they've been in the ground a whole 3 weeks or so. what would you say is a minimum height? and if i do let them start fruiting, will they really slow down their vegetative growth, or will they keep growing since it's so early in the season?