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 hole as deep as the root ball but twice as wide.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2024
After new growth emerges, remove the root ball from the container and transplant the cosmos to its new location.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2024
For instance, clay soils hold moisture much longer than porous sandy soils, which require more frequent watering so the root ball doesn’t dry out, something that’s particularly important if the plant is in a pot.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024
Remove the plant from the old container and take off the outer layer of wet soil from the root ball.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for root ball 
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2024
After new growth emerges, remove the root ball from the container and transplant the cosmos to its new location.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2024
For instance, clay soils hold moisture much longer than porous sandy soils, which require more frequent watering so the root ball doesn’t dry out, something that’s particularly important if the plant is in a pot.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024
Remove the plant from the old container and take off the outer layer of wet soil from the root ball.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for root ball
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'root ball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Root ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20ball. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
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