Santa Lucia soil series

What this means

What Santa Lucia soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Santa Lucia soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.4 and 6.4). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 97% of mapped Santa Lucia acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery clay loam (67% of mapped Santa Lucia acres).

98% of mapped Santa Lucia acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

On 97% of mapped acres, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.

For a septic system

For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 97% of the acres in mapped Santa Lucia soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.