Sue - My bed is filled with some top soil mixed in with mostly pine fines. I use fish emulsion, MiracleGro (liquid), and a little bit of epsom salt mixed together in a watering can and hand water/fertilize the raised beds. Later, I also add alfalfa pellets and Osmocote time released fertilizer pellets. I am getting ready to add the Osmocote today. It should last through blooming season (I hope). Every once in a while I will add a couple drops of Superthrive to the MiracleGro water.
Using pine fines as the planting medium, the watering does go all the way down into the roots. I water thoroughly right now about once or twice a week depending on how warm it is. I really love pine fines for planting medium. I think others here also use it.
