variants
or less commonly rootball
plural root balls also rootballs
: the compact mass of roots and soil formed by a plant especially in a container
If there are large circling roots or you have a difficult time straightening the roots, the root ball should be thinned and the soil loosened before planting.—
Carey Brothers
Carey BrothersExamples of root ball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dig a planting hole 2-3 times as wide as the root ball.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
Initial Planting Dig planting holes twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep to give roots room to spread and establish easily in the surrounding soil.
—Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Get the soil really wet by submerging the pots with root balls in a large container of water.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Instead, tap the pot's bottom against a hard surface and squeeze the outer edges of the pot to loosen the root ball.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root ball
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
Initial Planting Dig planting holes twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep to give roots room to spread and establish easily in the surrounding soil.
—Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Get the soil really wet by submerging the pots with root balls in a large container of water.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Instead, tap the pot's bottom against a hard surface and squeeze the outer edges of the pot to loosen the root ball.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root ball
Cite this Entry
“Root ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20ball. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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