Soil series profile
Hermon soil series
Hermon is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 623,543 acres in 34 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.4 extremely acidic · range 4.4–4.6
- Mapped area
- 624k acres in 34 counties, 4 states
Typical Hermon profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oa) | Highly decomposed plant material | 4.4 | Not reported | Not reported | 85% |
| 2–3 in (E) | Sandy loam | 4.4 | 4% | 65% | 2% |
| 3–9 in (Bhs) | Sandy loam | 5.2 | 4% | 65% | 7% |
| 9–16 in (Bs1) | Very gravelly sandy loam | 5.2 | 4% | 65% | 4% |
| 16–32 in (Bs2) | Extremely gravelly loamy sand | 5.4 | 1% | 78% | 2% |
| 32–65 in (C) | Very gravelly coarse sand | 5.6 | 2% | 93% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Hermon soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hermon soils is extremely acidic: pH 4.4 (most land between 4.4 and 4.6). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 92% of mapped Hermon acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (82% of mapped Hermon acres).
100% of mapped Hermon acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
99% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 99% of the acres in mapped Hermon soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (1% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Hermon soil is found
Mapped acres
Hermon is mapped in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford County, ME | 112,650 | 8.8% |
| York County, ME | 72,745 | 11.4% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 70,226 | 3.3% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 53,271 | 9.4% |
| Hancock County, ME | 49,197 | 4.9% |
| Grafton County, NH | 44,934 | 6.0% |
| Washington County, ME | 34,553 | 2.2% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 29,134 | 1.2% |
| Somerset County, ME | 27,540 | 1.1% |
| Franklin County, ME | 23,367 | 2.1% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 21,906 | 6.4% |
| Franklin County, NY | 11,553 | 1.1% |
| Coos County, NH | 10,617 | 1.2% |
| Clinton County, NY | 10,233 | 1.5% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 9,670 | 3.4% |
| Essex County, NY | 9,373 | 0.8% |
| Hamilton County, NY | 8,456 | 0.8% |
| Waldo County, ME | 4,752 | 1.0% |
| Knox County, ME | 4,053 | 1.7% |
| Herkimer County, NY | 3,848 | 0.4% |
| Warren County, NY | 3,652 | 0.7% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 2,524 | 0.4% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 1,466 | 0.0% |
| Lewis County, NY | 1,006 | 0.1% |
| Belknap County, NH | 849 | 0.3% |
| Fulton County, NY | 678 | 0.2% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 597 | 0.2% |
| Carroll County, NH | 438 | 0.1% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 121 | 0.1% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 59 | 0.0% |
| Worcester County, MA | 47 | 0.0% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 19 | 0.0% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 8 | 0.0% |
| Oneida County, NY | 4 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hermon acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.6% |
| Not rated | 1.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hermon acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 5.9 feet (71 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 8–27% (median 12%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 99.9% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 98.6% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.4% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Hermon (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 623,543 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hermon components. The profile comes from the single largest Hermon component. Full methodology.