Best Soil for Gardening in Alabama
Alabama has 67 USDA soil survey areas, and they vary considerably in how friendly the ground is for growing things. We ranked every survey area by the percentage of well-drained soil — the single most important soil property for most garden plants.
At the top, Cleburne County, Alabama has 99% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Mobile County, Alabama comes in at 42%, meaning more of the landscape has drainage challenges that may require raised beds, soil amendments, or careful site selection for a productive garden.
Remember that these are area-wide averages. Even in a low-ranking survey area, individual properties can have excellent garden soil. Look up your specific address for exact conditions.
| # | Survey Area | Well-Drained Soils | Dominant Drainage | Dominant Soil Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleburne County, Alabama | 99% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 2 | St. Clair County, Alabama | 97% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 3 | Marshall County, Alabama | 96% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 4 | Marion County, Alabama | 95% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 5 | Winston County, Alabama | 95% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 6 | Clay County, Alabama | 94% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 7 | Cullman County, Alabama | 93% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 8 | Lee County, Alabama | 93% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 9 | Franklin County, Alabama | 92% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 10 | Walker County, Alabama | 92% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 11 | Cherokee County, Alabama | 91% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 12 | Colbert County, Alabama | 91% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 13 | Tallapoosa County, Alabama | 91% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 14 | Blount County, Alabama | 90% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 15 | Etowah County, Alabama | 90% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 16 | Barbour County, Alabama | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 17 | Shelby County, Alabama | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 18 | Chilton County, Alabama | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 19 | Randolph County, Alabama | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 20 | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama | 88% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 21 | DeKalb County, Alabama | 88% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 22 | Talladega County, Alabama | 88% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 23 | Jackson County, Alabama | 88% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 24 | Coosa County, Alabama | 87% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 25 | Monroe County, Alabama | 86% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 26 | Chambers County, Alabama | 85% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 27 | Jefferson County, Alabama | 85% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 28 | Coffee County, Alabama | 84% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 29 | Fayette County, Alabama | 83% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 30 | Choctaw County, Alabama | 82% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 31 | Madison County, Alabama | 82% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 32 | Morgan County, Alabama | 81% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 33 | Limestone County, Alabama | 81% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 34 | Bibb County, Alabama | 81% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 35 | Lawrence County, Alabama | 79% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 36 | Lamar County, Alabama | 78% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 37 | Lauderdale County, Alabama | 78% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 38 | Autauga County, Alabama | 78% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 39 | Russell County, Alabama | 78% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 40 | Crenshaw County, Alabama | 77% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 41 | Wilcox County, Alabama | 76% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 42 | Bullock County, Alabama | 76% | Moderately well drained | Ultisols |
| 43 | Macon County, Alabama | 76% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 44 | Butler County, Alabama | 75% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 45 | Pike County, Alabama | 75% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 46 | Pickens County, Alabama | 75% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 47 | Clarke County, Alabama | 74% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 48 | Elmore County, Alabama | 74% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 49 | Perry County, Alabama | 73% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 50 | Lowndes County, Alabama | 71% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 51 | Covington County, Alabama | 71% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 52 | Calhoun County, Alabama | 69% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 53 | Conecuh County, Alabama | 69% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 54 | Greene County, Alabama | 67% | Moderately well drained | Ultisols |
| 55 | Houston County, Alabama | 65% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 56 | Hale County, Alabama | 65% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 57 | Marengo County, Alabama | 63% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 58 | Geneva County, Alabama | 63% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 59 | Escambia County, Alabama | 62% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 60 | Henry County, Alabama | 60% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 61 | Montgomery County, Alabama | 59% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 62 | Sumter County, Alabama | 56% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 63 | Dallas County, Alabama | 55% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 64 | Washington County, Alabama | 55% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 65 | Baldwin County, Alabama | 47% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 66 | Dale County, Alabama | 43% | Somewhat excessively drained | Ultisols |
| 67 | Mobile County, Alabama | 42% | Somewhat excessively drained | Ultisols |