I'm not sure if my experience with raspberries will help, because we have a different climate. In the fall, I cut the bed down to about 10 inches, and then I mulch heavily with shredded tree leaves, from the maple tree in our yard. I mulch to a depth of 8 inches or so. The bed gets snowed in, and spends the winter covered with leaves and snow. Green shoots begin to poke through in April, and by June, we will see blossoms. Fruit production begins in July, and heavy fruit production is in August and September. I cut the bed down in late October, and the cycle repeats...Our raspberries seem to be invigorated by the fall pruning. The bed is generally healthy, and fruit production is good. The main problem is japanese beetles, which I hand-pick and kill with warm soapy water. I live in Madison, Wisconsin, so our climate is not the same as yours.