Best Soil for Gardening in Maine
Maine has 20 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, Oxford County Area, Maine has 66% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, York County, Maine comes in at 24%, 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 | Oxford County Area, Maine | 66% | Well drained | Spodosols |
| 2 | Aroostook County, Maine, Northeastern Part | 54% | Well drained | Spodosols |
| 3 | Waldo County, Maine | 50% | Moderately well drained | Spodosols |
| 4 | Aroostook County, Maine, Southern Part | 48% | Well drained | Spodosols |
| 5 | Kennebec County, Maine | 46% | Moderately well drained | Spodosols |
| 6 | Western Aroostook County Area, Maine | 45% | Moderately well drained | Spodosols |
| 7 | Franklin County Area and Part of Somerset County, Maine | 42% | Well drained | Spodosols |
| 8 | Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties, Maine | 41% | Somewhat excessively drained | Spodosols |
| 9 | Piscataquis County, Maine, Southern Part | 41% | Somewhat poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 10 | Somerset County Area and Parts of Franklin and Oxford Counties, Maine | 40% | Somewhat poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 11 | Cumberland County and Part of Oxford County, Maine | 37% | Moderately well drained | Spodosols |
| 12 | Northern Piscataquis and Northern Somerset County Area, Maine | 35% | Poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 13 | Somerset County, Maine, Southern Part | 34% | Poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 14 | Penobscot County, Maine | 34% | Poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 15 | Penobscot County, Maine, Southern Part | 33% | Poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 16 | Washington County Area, Maine | 33% | Somewhat poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 17 | Knox and Lincoln Counties, Maine | 32% | Somewhat excessively drained | Spodosols |
| 18 | Hancock County Area, Maine | 30% | Somewhat excessively drained | Spodosols |
| 19 | Northern Hancock and Western Washington County Area, Maine | 27% | Somewhat poorly drained | Spodosols |
| 20 | York County, Maine | 24% | Somewhat excessively drained | Spodosols |