Carolyn: Maybe this isn't the answer you want to hear, but, as with all chemicals, it depends on which one you use, how much you use and the bulb species in question. Many times the premerge hasn't been tested on your species so that you have to do small patch tests to make sure that there is no toxicity I've had some bad experiences with a pre-emergent getting down too deep in the soil and inhibiting root growth (my 'soil' is 90% clay and root systems can be very shallow), but I've also had success when I have had sufficient organic matter to bind the pre-emergent very close to the surface. Again, it's a good idea to do a small patch test. I have used both liquid (Surflan/oryzalin)) and granular (again oryzalin incorporated into granules) on alstroemeria; I prefer the granular for ease of application and saving my back-pack sprayers for other dedicated uses. Big thing for mke is to remember where I used the stuff so that when I return to replant I scrape away the surface soil containing the premerge. Don't want that stuff around the roots! >Does anyone have advice on putting preemergent in my garden where I have >bulbs planted. Will it inhibit their growth or just inhibit the >growth of seeds? >Carolyn in Los Gatos, CA zone 9 >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php