Summary:

Intensified production of apples makes a fruit grower establish an orchard immediately after grubbing up an old one. Then, if replanting does not occur, stands for new trees can be significantly affected by soil properties conditioned by a long- term way of its management. Another problem in horticulture is water deficit. Due to diminishing water reserves there is a need to improve sorption capacity of soils. The use of polymer supersorbents provides one of possible solution to the mentioned problem. The aim of the work was the assessment of the effect of a long- term appli-cation of herbicide fallow, black foil, black agrotextile and pine bark in trees rows in an old orchard, on growth and fruiting of apple trees ‘Ligol' planted immediately after grubbing up the old trees. Research also involved potential modification of the above effect caused by rootstock type: M.9, M 26 and P 60, as well as by addi-tionally applied agrogel. The growth and yielding of young trees ‘Ligol', related to a long-term system of soil management in the old orchard, was highly diversified and depended on the type of rootstock and agrogel applied. Yielding of the trees was also connected with the year of cultivation.