[Alisdair]

Mike, Very interesting that you're using a graminicide among your california poppies. Basically, they all work because they kill monocots but not dicots, don't they. I know that Fusilade, the one you're using, can with care be used safely in onion crops (but not little salad onions) because it just runs off their waxy leaves. But do you find that any of the usual Mediterranean native bulbs can survive your graminicide treatment?

[MikeHardman]

Alisdair,

I don't know. I don't have any bulbs where I have grasses to kill. Sorry.
Have a look at Syngenta's full product label (lists towards the end)
- http://www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com/pdf/labels/SCP1084AL1A1203.pdf
(That's for 'Fusilade II'; note that there are various variants - it is not all just the same Fusilade.)

That shows that Fusilade does affect some dicots, including groundcovers Aptenia, Malephora, Phyla, Lotus, and the full-sized Nerium oleander. The PDf above talks about 20% phytotoxicity as a measure of degree of effect; I have no idea what that really means.

This useful article, focussing on Bermuda grass, includes some general info on the use of Fusilade (etc.)
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html