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
Staking may also be appropriate if the root ball is significantly smaller in relation to the tree’s size, or if the tree has a top-heavy canopy.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2025
Size containers according to the extent of the root ball.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for root ball
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Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2025
Size containers according to the extent of the root ball.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
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
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 Jul. 2025.
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