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.—
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Carey BrothersExamples of root ball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The top of the root ball should be about 1 inch below the rim of the pot.
—Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026
Plant in well-draining soil to prevent root rot by digging a hole twice the width of the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Fill in with additional potting mix, making sure the top of the lavender root ball is even with the surface of the potting mix, which should be about an inch below the rim of the planter.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2025
Carpenter said some of the limbs branching out from the main trunk did cause some damage to the home’s roof, and that the tree’s root ball was completely pulled out of the ground — lifting the family’s front deck over a dozen feet in the air.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root ball
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Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026
Plant in well-draining soil to prevent root rot by digging a hole twice the width of the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Fill in with additional potting mix, making sure the top of the lavender root ball is even with the surface of the potting mix, which should be about an inch below the rim of the planter.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2025
Carpenter said some of the limbs branching out from the main trunk did cause some damage to the home’s roof, and that the tree’s root ball was completely pulled out of the ground — lifting the family’s front deck over a dozen feet in the air.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2026.
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