River Birch- Pruning

Q: When should I prune my river birch tree? The lower branches are too low to walk under. When and how should I fertilize it?

A: You can prune any time after the leaves fall and before next February. If you wait until later, the cuts will needlessly bleed copious amounts of sap. I would not fertilize them. Landscape trees usually get enough fertilizer from lawn food spread nearby.