As for the downside of growing in open soil, the fact that your plants are not easily transportable can prove to be problematic. Wherever you decide to grow your plants in the first place is where they will be situated for their entire lives. This in turn means that there is very little you can do to protect them from extreme weather, or ensure that they make the most of all available sunshine throughout the season.
In addition, not being able to move your marijuana plants means having limited control over their exposure to the kinds of pests that can really do a number on their health. There are other measures that can be taken to protect open soil plants, but none are quite as simple as growing in containers and moving them when necessary.
Last but not least, soil uniformity has the potential to be problematic when it comes to open soil growing, for the simple reason that there is so much of it to control. From nutrient concentrations to drainage to general quality, there can often be significant differences from one patch to the next.
On the whole therefore, it’s a pretty balanced mix of pros and cons for both methods. Which in turn means that choosing the ‘right’ outdoor growing method is really all about choosing the right method for you!