wrote in message
ups.com...
I had 7 large pines removed because they were shading the plot for my
future vegetable garden and because they had lost most of the needles
from the lower third of the trees. I couldn't bring myself to pay an
additional small fortune to grind the stumps, so they were cut off
flush with the ground. I would like to plant a mixed shrub border in
this spot to provide some visual interest as well as a low windbreak.
Will I be able to get anything to grow here with the remains of the
pine roots still in place? Since the trees are gone they will
obviously not be competing with the new plants for water or nutrients,
but will the pine roots allow the new plants to spread their own roots
and become established?
The soil is clay/loam and somewhat rocky, in addition to the remains
of the pines. Other plantings outside of this root zone have done very
well since I bought the house 4 yrs. ago. The area does get full sun
in zone 5.

Should be no problem, the roots will eventually decompose. You can
accelerate the process by cutting the surface of the stump with a chainsaw
or ax, put a couple of shovels of local dirt on the stump, fertilize
occasionally, and water occasionally. That will encourage wood fungus to
attack the tissue.