It depends on what is going in the bed. If you're planting it with corn, you'll need to supplement nitrogen, for example. If you're planting tomatoes, a small amount of fertilizer with additional calcium would be of use every 6-8 weeks while the plants are still setting/growing fruit. If you're just doing lettuce or radishes, however, your plan of just adding some additional compost from time to time would be fine.

Personally, I use a 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 vermiculite mix, and grow tomatoes and peppers, amongst other things. My tomatoes get 1/4 cup of Tomato Tone fertilizer when they go in the ground, and a teaspoon or two around the base every 6-8 weeks after that. Lettuces and garlic get no fertilizer. Every 4 weeks or so I drench the entire bed with 1/4 strength fish emulsion.

That seems to work for me, but your mileage may vary depending on your particular growing conditions and what you like to grow.

This post was edited by galiana on Thu, Jun 6, 13 at 12:53

It sounds like you started out with good stuff. I would say take a walk out and around the garden everyday and keep an eye on things. Is it growing well? Plants look healthy? Green? Are they flowering? Fruiting? If so, all is well. Don't fertilize. Or, if you do, only something mild and organic. As galiana said, corn is a heavy feeder of nitrogen. Tomatoes will appreciate a side dressing around the time they begin to flower. Most other summer vegetables should be fine with your manure rich soil.

Thanks for the replies. I just planted over Memorial Day weekend (I'm in MI and its been a cool spring). I just have your staple items like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce/greens and some herbs. I have 2 pepper plants I'm a little nervous about. I didn't replace them after a rabbit attack (that's a whole different post), but other than that things look good so far.

I think , your plants will reflect the state of soil in most cases. But when in doubt, a light dose of all purpose fertilizer , from time to time, cannot hurt but can help. I use liquid (14-14-14) and mixed it haf strength in watering can and feed most of my plants. For laeft veggies I just use Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0 ). Because I I want is foliage , no flowers, no fruits. My strategy is using about 1/3 strength but ever so often. Then from the state of my plants(growth rate, color, bloom...) I can pretty much tell what is going on.

If you are using Biotone, or some other organic fert, then you dont need to worry so much about over fertilizing (just the expense). Its the man-made chemical fert that can burn your plants if you use to much.

Biotone is a good suggestion for a new raised bed, since it will add to and promote the growth of good soil bacteria, which hasnt had time to establish itself.