SHOUld I Plant in the Ground or a pot

I have a regenerated plant that is almost a year old out in the woods. It is in a pot that is between 3-4 gallons... the plant is getting tall now and losing most of the bottom branches....Would it be better for me to plant it in the ground before it starts to bud or should i just move it to a larger pot?

dont really see one being any better than the other so would just pick one and transplant if properly done both should give you similiar results assuming good soil is used.
a pot may offer some protection from small animals that like to dig in the soil and it also allows you to move the plant around if needed but its also more noticable to anyone that might pass by.

Would it hurt if i dug a big whole and put the pot(trashcan), with the plant in it, down in the hole so it looked more natural, therefore the trashcan couldnt be seen?

no it wouldnt hurt anything to bury the pot

What size pot should i use if i wanted the biggest buds i can get? Would a 5 gallon bucket be good enough or should i use a trashcan?

Just don't water the plant for a day or so and cut the bottom off of the bucket, then plant it wherever you see fit (bigger bucket, outside). It should make the transplant a lot safer and the roots will just grow down out of its old pot.

I would say keep it in another pot/bucket, it would be better protected from pests and easier to maintain its environment.

i prefer the ground, but it is easier to control everything in a pot...