Best Soil for Gardening in New York

New York

New York has 62 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, New York County, New York has 99% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Akwesasne Territory: St. Regis Mohawk Reservation comes in at 27%, 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 AreaWell-Drained SoilsDominant DrainageDominant Soil Order
1 New York County, New York 99% Well drained Inceptisols
2 Bronx County, New York 92% Well drained Inceptisols
3 Hamilton County, New York 83% Well drained Spodosols
4 Rockland County, New York 83% Well drained Inceptisols
5 Westchester County, New York 81% Well drained Inceptisols
6 Otsego County, New York 80% Well drained Inceptisols
7 Putnam County, New York 79% Well drained Inceptisols
8 Greene County, New York 79% Well drained Inceptisols
9 Essex County, New York 75% Well drained Spodosols
10 Ulster County, New York 75% Well drained Inceptisols
11 Sullivan County, New York 73% Moderately well drained Inceptisols
12 Herkimer County, New York 73% Well drained Spodosols
13 Onondaga County, New York 73% Well drained Alfisols
14 Yates County, New York 72% Well drained Inceptisols
15 Nassau County, New York 72% Well drained Entisols
16 Richmond County, New York 72% Well drained Inceptisols
17 Ontario County, New York 72% Well drained Alfisols
18 Madison County, New York 71% Well drained Alfisols
19 Cayuga County, New York 71% Well drained Alfisols
20 Chenango County, New York 70% Well drained Inceptisols
21 Schoharie County, New York 70% Well drained Inceptisols
22 Saratoga County, New York 70% Well drained Inceptisols
23 Cortland County, New York 68% Well drained Inceptisols
24 Fulton County, New York 67% Well drained Spodosols
25 Monroe County, New York 66% Moderately well drained Alfisols
26 Livingston County, New York 65% Well drained Inceptisols
27 Delaware County, New York 65% Well drained Inceptisols
28 Queens County, New York 65% Well drained Inceptisols
29 Seneca Nation of Indians, New York 65% Well drained Inceptisols
30 Tompkins County, New York 64% Well drained Inceptisols
31 Warren County, New York 64% Well drained Inceptisols
32 Tioga County, New York 64% Well drained Inceptisols
33 Rensselaer County, New York 62% Well drained Inceptisols
34 Schuyler County, New York 61% Well drained Inceptisols
35 Wayne County, New York 60% Moderately well drained Alfisols
36 Franklin County, New York 60% Well drained Spodosols
37 Wyoming County, New York 60% Well drained Inceptisols
38 Chemung County, New York 60% Well drained Inceptisols
39 Seneca County, New York 59% Moderately well drained Alfisols
40 Steuben County, New York 58% Well drained Inceptisols
41 Suffolk County, New York 58% Well drained Entisols
42 Orange County, New York 56% Moderately well drained Inceptisols
43 Broome County, New York 56% Somewhat poorly drained Inceptisols
44 Albany County, New York 54% Moderately well drained Inceptisols
45 Clinton County, New York 52% Well drained Spodosols
46 Lewis County, New York 51% Well drained Inceptisols
47 Allegany County Area, New York 49% Somewhat poorly drained Inceptisols
48 Dutchess County, New York 48% Well drained Inceptisols
49 Genesee County, New York 48% Somewhat poorly drained Alfisols
50 Oneida County, New York 47% Well drained Inceptisols
51 Orleans County, New York 47% Moderately well drained Alfisols
52 Columbia County, New York 46% Somewhat excessively drained Inceptisols
53 Oswego County, New York 44% Well drained Inceptisols
54 Jefferson County, New York 43% Well drained Inceptisols
55 Kings County, New York 42% Subaqueous Entisols
56 Schenectady County, New York 40% Somewhat poorly drained Alfisols
57 Montgomery County, New York 40% Somewhat poorly drained Alfisols
58 Chautauqua County, New York 39% Somewhat poorly drained Inceptisols
59 Washington County, New York 36% Somewhat excessively drained Inceptisols
60 Erie County, New York 36% Somewhat poorly drained Inceptisols
61 Niagara County Area, New York 27% Somewhat poorly drained Alfisols
62 Akwesasne Territory: St. Regis Mohawk Reservation 27% Poorly drained Inceptisols

See also: national gardening soil rankings | New York drainage rankings | all New York survey areas