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
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If plants are pot-bound, loosen the roots around the bottom and sides of the root ball and spread them out in the bottom of the planting hole.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
Digging a wide circle around perennial roots before lifting them out of the soil should help to keep root balls intact, while running a butter knife around the interior of growing containers can loosen tough soil and free stubborn pots with minimal root damage.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2025
At planting make sure the azalea root balls are moist.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
Build berms at the edge of root balls of new trees and shrubs to direct water to the roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root ball
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Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
Digging a wide circle around perennial roots before lifting them out of the soil should help to keep root balls intact, while running a butter knife around the interior of growing containers can loosen tough soil and free stubborn pots with minimal root damage.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2025
At planting make sure the azalea root balls are moist.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
Build berms at the edge of root balls of new trees and shrubs to direct water to the roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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