This paper, on the basis of a 5-year study (1996-2000), attempts to answer the following question: do the changes in enzymatic activity observed in an apple-tree orchard at a prolonged (20-year) application of triazine herbicides indicate the degradation processes in soil? In the soil of herbicide-triggered fallow land, the activity of the enzymes under scrutiny was subject to a significant inhibition. Among the enzymes analyzed, the activity of phosphatases was the most sensitive indicator for soil contamination with triazine herbicides. In the light of the obtained results, the criticism of the application of triazine herbicides in orchard-related cultivation is justified. It is recommended that they be replaced with other methods of weed control. However, that requires further research into the activity of enzymes for other types of soils used intensively for orchard-related purposes.