Planted most of my sets in empty shrub pots set into the ground. Drilled holes in bottoms for drainage and (hopefully) root growth.
Plan is that Mr. Gopher will only be able to gnaw up to the plastic.
Last year lost many to gopher and others to the cursed tomato worm.
Hope it works. My garden is small enough that I can usually protect my tomatoes, by pulling off the worm, and cutting him in half/squashing under my boot heel on the concrete.