when i plant in the ground i condition the soil with liquid carbon first, it improves soil a ton and raises or lowers the ph level to neutral. Also i dig a trench around my plants and on a near by hill to collect more water. I've heard of someone burying a kiddie pool around the plant 2. I live around TN and i've never had problems with animals of any kind..... yet.
Potted plants are easier to take care of i think. You can bury the pot to shorten the overall height of the plant and add more stability, and of course they're movable if trouble comes up. If you don't bury the pot, it should provide more protection from small critters.
If you use non organic ferts, they leave salt behind in the soil, over time it can be a problem. With potted plants you just discard the soil with the salt after harvesting and start fresh next year. Oh and if police are a problem its easier to deny a potted plant than one in the ground IMO.
