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
Size the pot according to the size of the root ball.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 July 2025
Make sure the top of the root ball is an inch or two above the soil line and keep the root ball moist but not overly wet.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Dig a planting hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of the plant.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
One big secret to new plant survival is keeping the root ball moist until established.
54.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for root ball
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 July 2025
Make sure the top of the root ball is an inch or two above the soil line and keep the root ball moist but not overly wet.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Dig a planting hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of the plant.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
One big secret to new plant survival is keeping the root ball moist until established.
54.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 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 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share