The issue with vinegar, or any acid is when it combines with the base (alkalinity), it gets neutralized, but the product of that neutralization is salt. Since it obviously rains where you live, I would try to create a small system for collecting the rainwater, and use that to water your tree. Meyers are a little sensitive to pH and do best at soil pH of 5.5-6.5. Up to 7 (rainwater), they do okay; above that they need some special treatments. If you want to continue to use the vinegar method, at least put in the vinegar and allow it to stand for a while so that the salts will have a chance to collect at the bottom before using it for watering.

Hi, jenny. It's "verde esmeralda", wasn't really very expensive compared to some others, and doesn't seem to pit or etch. We found this piece which had a lot of swirls on one end of it. I'm so glad you like it! Our kitchen is about 12 1/2 by 12 1/2, so a little bigger than yours. I added a couple of earlier photos so you could see it better. You can find it easily by googling. Good luck! I hope you'll post pix of your progress. Are you building new or remodeling?

The easiest and least expensive way to have a hot water recirculation system is to install a Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve which sells for $179.95. SAVE WATER! The Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve provides faster hot water which also saves, water, time and money. How Long does it take for hot water to get to your faucet or shower? A lot of precious water is wasted down the drain while waiting for hot water. Even worse is the cost to heat the cold replacement water, which enters your house at ground temperature. HOW IT WORKS! When the water in your hot water pipe and the Hot Water Lobster control valve cools below the user adjustable temperature (45-150 degrees F), the thermal materials within the Hot Water Lobster control valve contract, and silently open the valve. Thermal convection within your hot water tank naturally circulates the cooled water through your existing cold water pipes and back to the hot water tank for reheating. Your existing hot water tank now uses less energy reheating warm water instead of cold ground temperature water. When fresh hot water enters your hot water pipe and the Hot Water Lobster control valve, the valve automatically closes. This maintains hot water at the control valve without wasting water or energy. Turn on your faucet or shower and you get instant hot water. When you mount the Hot Water Lobster instant hot water control valve in the fixture furthest from your hot water tank (as shown in the installation diagram) all other fixtures in your house will also have faster hot water. NO ELECTRICITY NECESSARY! The Hot Water Lobster is all mechanical and designed to provide an electricity free solution to maintain hot water at the tap. This makes installation a snap (in less than 10 minutes). Other hot water solutions require the use of electricity and pumps that make installation difficult and the pumps are often noisy. MORE HOT WATER! Adds as much as 10% more capacity to your current hot water system (by keeping the water in your hot water pipes hot!). KEEP PIPES FROM FREEZING! The Hot Water Lobster instant hot water valve automatically allows water in your pipes to circulate when the control valve cools below the set temperature-even when your electricity goes out. REDUCES CONDENSATION! The Hot Water Lobster instant hot water valve reduces condensation on pipes and toilets. MAINTENANCE FREE! The Hot Water Lobster has a solid brass valve body with an adjustable thermal controlled mechanical stainless steel valve stem enclosed in a mounting box. EASY INSTALLATION! The Hot Water Lobster comes complete with mounting box, 4 sets of 12' flexible water lines and brass fitting. All pre-assembled and tested for an easy 10 minutes installation Here is a link that might be useful: Recirculating Valve

I shouldn't have said cankers, I thought the word cankers was interchangeable with frost crack and sunscald, and now I know that they're not. My trees had frost crack and/or sunscald, due to being planted on the south/southwest part of our house. The trees i planted were susceptible to it, which I didn't know at the time. The Crimson King didn't survive no doubt because I didn't water it enough. I watered it, but it was like 8ft tall, and i only watered it about 5 gallons a week (puny for my fast draining soil). And probably the same could be said for the red rocket maple. But the golden Raintree died during a bitter cold winter. I read it was to zone 5, but most sites have it at zone 6, so it wasn't right for my zone in the first place. Dh and I decided this morning that we're going to do a 6ft L fence blocking the 3 properties that abuts ours, including the next door neighbor, the neighbor's Christmas tree property, and the empty tract of land belonging to his parents. The entire fence will be about 150ft long. That's an immediate 6ft screen. And no waiting for 10 years for conifers to do the job. He's going to take some time off in May or June and we'll do the fence. Just a simple wood fence. No one around here has a fence. Not a single solitary person. But then they don't have 3 properties abutting their backyard either. We're doing an L fence because we don't want to close off our entire back yard. We like the openness to be outside barbecuing and being able to say hello to neighbors walking down to the lake, or the elderly couple who lives up the road, they must be close to 80yrs now, and they walk hand in hand every spring and summer past our house, and then back. I love them. I would hate being fully blocked off from ever seeing them. I admit every spring I look for them, and always a little scared they won't walk anymore. I have 3 Lilacs on that side, and they are quickly growing and will provide some screen, so the yard won't be fully exposed to the road. We also live out in the middle of nowhere, so the only people who drive past here are the people who live here, and the few people who take our road as a short cut to a nearby town. And now, I'll be able to relax and plant what I want, and for no other reason than pure pleasure. Who knew! lol We still plan on planting Junipers and other shrubs, but now they''ll be here and there, for a focal point, not for a screen.