Rankings · Georgia

Best Soil for Gardening in Georgia

How we ranked

In Georgia, the most good growing ground is in Miller and Seminole Counties, Georgia, where 69% of the land rates Class I–II. Camden and Glynn Counties, Georgia is at the other end with 0%.

USDA grades every mapped soil into a land capability class from I to VIII, for growing crops without irrigation. Class I and II soils have few or moderate limitations: deep, workable, enough water. Classes III and IV can be farmed with care. Classes V through VIII are steep, stony, wet, shallow, or too dry, and are usually left to grass, range or woods.

We rank by the share of land in Class I–II. One thing to know: the grade includes rainfall. In dry states much of the land rates Class VI or VII simply because crops need watering there, so a watered garden on that ground can still do well. Look up your address for the pH, texture and water-holding that matter for a backyard bed.

Class I–II · good ground for growingIII–IV · workable with careV–VIII · best left to grass, range or woodsnot rated

#	Survey area	Class I–II	Drains well	Main soil order
1	Miller and Seminole Counties, Georgia	69%	75%	Ultisols
2	Calhoun and Early Counties, Georgia	64%	76%	Ultisols
3	Lee and Terrell Counties, Georgia	61%	78%	Ultisols
4	Dougherty County, Georgia	60%	68%	Ultisols
5	Baker and Mitchell Counties, Georgia	60%	68%	Ultisols
6	Crisp and Turner Counties, Georgia	59%	72%	Ultisols
7	Brooks and Thomas Counties, Georgia	57%	65%	Ultisols
8	Tift County, Georgia	56%	61%	Ultisols
9	Colquitt and Cook Counties, Georgia	55%	50%	Ultisols
10	Dooly and Macon Counties, Georgia	55%	72%	Ultisols
11	Grady County, Georgia	55%	76%	Ultisols
12	Johnson and Laurens Counties, Georgia	54%	75%	Ultisols
13	Worth County, Georgia	53%	64%	Ultisols
14	Pulaski and Wilcox Counties, Georgia	53%	70%	Ultisols
15	Bleckley, Dodge, and Telfair Counties, Georgia	51%	68%	Ultisols
16	Burke County, Georgia	48%	77%	Ultisols
17	Bulloch County, Georgia	48%	44%	Ultisols
18	Decatur County, Georgia	46%	80%	Ultisols
19	Houston and Peach Counties, Georgia	45%	81%	Ultisols
20	Glascock and Jefferson Counties, Georgia	44%	81%	Ultisols
21	Screven County, Georgia	44%	60%	Ultisols
22	Schley and Sumter Counties, Georgia	44%	75%	Ultisols
23	Berrien and Lanier Counties, Georgia	43%	28%	Ultisols
24	Candler, Evans, and Tattnall Counties, Georgia	41%	46%	Ultisols
25	Montgomery, Toombs, and Wheeler Counties, Georgia	39%	51%	Ultisols
26	Emanuel County, Georgia	38%	64%	Ultisols
27	Jenkins County, Georgia	37%	58%	Ultisols
28	Ben Hill and Irwin Counties, Georgia	37%	55%	Ultisols
29	Columbia, McDuffie, and Warren Counties, Georgia	35%	90%	Ultisols
30	Treutlen County, Georgia	35%	67%	Ultisols
31	Washington and Wilkinson Counties, Georgia	34%	63%	Ultisols
32	Randolph County, Georgia	33%	81%	Ultisols
33	Clayton, Fayette, and Henry Counties, Georgia	33%	86%	Ultisols
34	Lowndes County, Georgia	32%	33%	Ultisols
35	Webster County, Georgia	32%	84%	Ultisols
36	Atkinson, Bacon, and Coffee Counties, Georgia	32%	30%	Ultisols
37	Spalding County, Georgia	32%	85%	Ultisols
38	Greene County, Georgia	31%	84%	Ultisols
39	Hancock and Taliaferro Counties, Georgia	31%	85%	Ultisols
40	Oglethorpe County, Georgia	30%	95%	Ultisols
41	Pierce County, Georgia	30%	14%	Ultisols
42	Gordon County, Georgia	29%	83%	Ultisols
43	Clay and Quitman Counties, Georgia	29%	72%	Ultisols
44	Appling and Jeff Davis Counties, Georgia	29%	26%	Ultisols
45	Lincoln and Wilkes Counties, Georgia	29%	90%	Ultisols
46	Hart County, Georgia	27%	87%	Ultisols
47	Walton County, Georgia	26%	90%	Ultisols
48	Muscogee County, Georgia	25%	83%	Ultisols
49	Lamar, Pike, and Upson Counties, Georgia	25%	88%	Ultisols
50	Bartow County, Georgia	25%	91%	Ultisols
51	Elbert, Franklin, and Madison Counties, Georgia	25%	86%	Ultisols
52	Catoosa County, Georgia	24%	88%	Ultisols
53	Twiggs County, Georgia	24%	73%	Ultisols
54	Meriwether County, Georgia	24%	85%	Ultisols
55	Coweta, Heard, and Troup Counties, Georgia	24%	95%	Ultisols
56	Morgan County, Georgia	24%	91%	Ultisols
57	Murray and Whitfield Counties, Georgia	23%	85%	Ultisols
58	Crawford and Taylor Counties, Georgia	23%	77%	Ultisols
59	Bibb County, Georgia	22%	74%	Ultisols
60	Stewart County, Georgia	22%	90%	Ultisols
61	Newton and Rockdale Counties, Georgia	22%	89%	Ultisols
62	Baldwin, Jones, and Putnam Counties, Georgia	21%	86%	Ultisols
63	Forsyth County, Georgia	21%	86%	Ultisols
64	Clarke and Oconee Counties, Georgia	21%	93%	Ultisols
65	Richmond County, Georgia	21%	70%	Ultisols
66	Chattooga, Floyd, and Polk Counties, Georgia	20%	89%	Ultisols
67	Wayne County, Georgia	20%	19%	Ultisols
68	Cobb County, Georgia	18%	86%	Ultisols
69	Butts County, Georgia	16%	89%	Ultisols
70	Dade and Walker Counties, Georgia	14%	95%	Ultisols
71	Gwinnett County, Georgia	14%	89%	Ultisols
72	Effingham County, Georgia	13%	26%	Ultisols
73	Harris and Talbot Counties, Georgia	13%	90%	Ultisols
74	Barrow, Hall, and Jackson Counties, Georgia	12%	91%	Ultisols
75	Carroll and Haralson Counties, Georgia	12%	89%	Ultisols
76	Jasper County, Georgia	12%	90%	Ultisols
77	Chattahoochee and Marion Counties, Georgia	12%	83%	Ultisols
78	Liberty and Long Counties, Georgia	11%	14%	Ultisols
79	Banks and Stephens Counties, Georgia	11%	95%	Ultisols
80	Douglas County, Georgia	10%	90%	Ultisols
81	Bryan and Chatham Counties, Georgia	7%	10%	Ultisols
82	Monroe County, Georgia	6%	90%	Ultisols
83	Paulding County, Georgia	6%	89%	Ultisols
84	Fulton County, Georgia	5%	50%	Ultisols
85	Dawson, Lumpkin, and White Counties, Georgia	5%	95%	Ultisols
86	Habersham County, Georgia	4%	93%	Ultisols
87	DeKalb County, Georgia	4%	79%	Ultisols
88	Ware County, Georgia	4%	4%	Ultisols
89	Rabun and Towns Counties, Georgia	4%	96%	Inceptisols
90	Fannin and Union Counties, Georgia	3%	88%	Ultisols
91	Cherokee, Gilmer, and Pickens Counties, Georgia	3%	93%	Ultisols
92	McIntosh County, Georgia	2%	7%	Entisols
93	Brantley and Charlton Counties, Georgia	1%	3%	Spodosols
94	Clinch and Echols Counties, Georgia	0%	2%	Ultisols
95	Camden and Glynn Counties, Georgia	0%	0%	Entisols