Idaho--I don't think you'll have much luck in lowering the pH by spreading the sulfur on the surface. Soil sulfur works best when it's incorporated into the soil. If I were you, I would concentrate my efforts on individual plants that are chlorotic (yellow leaves and usually green veins). Drill holes with a bulb augur around the drip line and add some sulfur to within a few inches of the surface, then cover with soil. Your best bet for larger areas is to try to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. The organic matter will help bring the pH closer to neutral and will also have a buffering effect. Alkaline soils are common in the intermountain west, and it's usually a losing battle to try to significantly lower the pH. Somebody on the Rocky Mountain Gardening forum used to say that it is much easier to try to grow plants that are adapted to our soil than to try to adapt our soil to the plants we're trying to grow. By the way, adding iron isn't likely to help much. Your soil probably has plenty of iron, but it's in a form that can't be used by the plants. With a pH that high, you need to use EDDHA chelated iron. EDTA chelated iron is more commonly available and also much less expensive, but isn't likely to be much help. You can also use a foliar spray, but that is short lived and can cause leaf burning. It's almost guaranteed to burn if the daytime highs are above 80.

A repot will release the plant from the very strong constraints imposed by root congestion, and from now until about the 4th of July is the ideal part of the growth cycle to repot (in the northern hemisphere). If all you're using is aquarium water for fertilizer, you can significantly improve on that program. First step would be to stop using the aquarium water and invest in a fertilizer with an appropriate NPK ratio that also supplies micronutrients. I'd use a pruning saw to remove the bottom half of the root mass, bare-root the plant, remove all other problem roots, repot it into an appropriate soil (one you can water w/o concern about impaired root health/function), stick it outside in the shade until it starts pushing new growth, then move it into full sun. NOT repotting, just ensures a continual decline, but what you do is up to you. It's a naturally vigorous plant and tolerates a LOT, if you pay attention to a few details and do some preplanning before you jump in - something I can help with if you decide to go for it. Al

Bark nuggets don't do the job of weed control as well as ground up bark or woodchips of equal thickness. Buying mulch by the bag in your case is not cost effective. Whatever you use as mulch, don't put it up against the trunks of trees and shrubs. That will help a bit on vole damage because they can't hide under it while eating. Snow is a whole 'nother ball game. I've never been bothered by voles so I can't offer much along that line. They're just not a problem in my garden and I'm out in the country with a lot of plants. Are you sure the voles were causing the dieback on your junipers? Did you actually see the teeth marks? A lot of junipers have branch dieback for a variety of reasons and not necessarily voles. Mike

As long as the tree is dormant, it can be pruned. We're not there yet. How great is this weather, by the way? It almost makes up for the horrid summer! I would not wait for new growth in spring, I'd do it sooner than that. Maybe a November to March time frame. One thing to consider is the availability of your trimmer. It seems like they're busier in the spring, cleaning up after our spring storms, which might delay your time frame into a not so great time for extensive work. When you say drastic pruning, how drastic? Topping? Removing large branches?