DEAR JOE: Malabar chestnut plants (Pachira aquatica) are typically trained into tree form with five braided trunks. Sold as “money trees,” the plants are said to symbolize prosperity and good fortune.

What should I do to improve the growth of the ornamental hibiscus tree that I purchased a couple of years ago? I have been keeping it inside over winter and then putting it outside for the summer.

Most people know hibiscus as a shrub bursting with bright flowers, but fewer realize it can be shaped into a small, ornamental tree. The secret isn't some rare variety or special fertilizer. All your ...