Well, I'm no genius on whether to pinch the buds or not. Personally, I'd let them grow. Just the knee-jerk thing that I would do if they were mine.
You might loosen the plug in one of the cups (let it be a bit dry so the plug will stay together). Slide the plug out of the cup a little bit and see if the roots are getting root-bound....roots circling the cup. If there isn't a whole lot of roots showing they could grow a while longer in the cup if they needed to.
Plants need a dark cycle. I usually run 16-hours of light and 8-hours of darkness.
Is your growing medium still actively composting? That sounds like quiet a mix you have!
Are you growing any different vegetables?
