Apple Replant Disease (ARD) is a syndrome that affects new apple trees replanted in old orchard sites. The young trees suffer necrotic lesions and death of fine feeder roots, which can result in stunted growth and substantially reduced yields. Causal agents differ in site specific combinations. We conducted two experiments to evaluate whether management strategies used in the old orchard might affect ARD severity at replant. (1) We analyzed the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of four rootstock genotypes (M.9, M.26, G.30 and CG.6210) grown in an old orchard. Each rootstock accumulated a distinct microbial community in the surrounding soil. Replanting with the same rootstock that had been grown on the site before did not necessarily lead to more severe ARD symptoms in the replanted trees. Five months after replant, soil bacterial community composition was still dominated by the previous crop, while soil fungal community reflected the newly planted variety. ARD symptoms were least severe where CG.6210 was grown. (2) We compared the effect of four groundcover treatments: (i) pre- and (ii) post-emergence herbicide, (iii) grass cover and, (iv) bark mulch applied for 13 growing seasons in the old orchard on the subsequent growth of apple seedlings. All groundcover management strategies resulted in distinct soil chemical properties and soil microbial communities.  Seedling growth was best after long-term, pre-emergence herbicide use and worst where post-emergence herbicides were used. Soil bacterial community composition and seedling growth response were correlated. However, soil nutrient and soil organic matter contents, soil fungal and oomycete community composition and soil respiration did not appear to affect seedling growth. We concluded that management choices made for the old orchard can affect ARD severity. Management effects on soil bacterial community composition seem to be involved in that effect.