Editing Bartow, Florida (section)

===Physiography and soils===
Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]].<ref name="MLRAs in FL">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/mlra_fl.html
 |title=MLRAs in FL
 |access-date=2010-09-10
 |publisher=USDA
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008050915/http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/mlra_fl.html
 |archive-date=October 8, 2010
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref> Most soils in the Bartow area are sandy; other soils have sandy surface layers and [[clay]] subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band which cuts across the northern part of town. Much of Bartow is built on the Fort Meade soil series, which is well drained, high in organic matter, and rich in [[phosphorus]], an uncommon combination in Florida, much appreciated by area gardeners.<ref name="Official Series Description -Fort Meade Series">{{cite web
| url = http://ortho.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/F/FORT_MEADE.html
| title = Fort Meade Series
| access-date = 2010-09-10
| publisher = National Cooperative Soil Survey
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101014083135/http://ortho.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/F/FORT_MEADE.html
| archive-date = October 14, 2010
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref name="Web Soil Survey">{{cite web
| url = http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx
| title = Web Soil Surbey
| access-date = 2010-09-10
| publisher = USDA
}}</ref>