The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station belonging to Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. In the autumn of 2008 the distribution of root system for nine-year-old apple trees cv. ‘Jonagored’ on M9 rootstock was evaluated. The tress were planted at spacing 3,5 x 0,5 m (5714 trees/ha) in two different ways: traditionally – into hole, and in the ridges. Plant-ing in ridges consists in setting trees on the top of the ground, fastening the trees to the rows of wire and hilling the soil up around their root system. The trees were irrigated by drip irrigation system. Irrigation was applied on the base of tensiometer indications. On purpose to determine the distribution of the roots the method of soil profile was used (Böhm, 1985). The method of soil profile was modified by taking digital photos of soil with roots, instead putting the roots by hand on transparent foil. The studies were prosecuted on three selected trees in each treatment, in vertical soil profile at 1m wide and 1,2 m deep. Planting in ridge combined with irrigation affected more intensive produc-ing of fine roots (ø < 1 mm), in comparison with control trees, planted ...
