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Some fast-acting products can rot a tree stump in four to six weeks. Keep in mind, these products contain harsh chemicals that may prevent regrowth in the area. Other products, like fertilizer that contains lots of nitrogen, can enhance the process and rot a stump in about a year. (This is compared to the ten years it can take naturally for a stump to rot.)

A tree can grow back from its stump, but full regrowth is unlikely (especially for more stubborn conifer trees). Instead, trees are more likely to send up a number of shoots from the dead stump, which will try to develop into primary stems over time. In other words, it will start to look increasingly bushy. The goal of killing and drying out a tree stump is to prevent that from happening, as well as make the stump easier to completely remove.

Most chemical treatments that kill roots will also damage the grass around it—including more natural substances like Epsom salt. In this case, cutting tree roots is probably your best bet if you want to preserve the grass. Use caution before you cut or prune roots to make sure you know what you’re cutting and know the risks if you make an error. 

Tree roots are hearty and complex systems, so they don’t die immediately after the rest of the tree is removed. If you leave the root system in place, it takes anywhere from two to seven years for it to run out of nutrients. It is worth noting, however, that the roots stop growing and expanding after cutting down the rest of the tree.