How do I prevent garden soil from drying and caking?

Sounds like clay to me .I have heard that mixing sand and mulch will help .

Soil condtioners

Till it and add garden soil. Till it again. Add cow manure and till again. Repeat this process. A successful garden takes work but it is worth it in the end

It needs something mixed into it. I believe you can take a sample to most landscaping stores and they will tell you what you need.

Thank you all for your recommendations, I will try them all to see which one works best.

Wishing you all the best in this new year, happy home talking .

For heavy clay in SW PA, Greensand can be purchased from Farm stores. Mix it into the top 2-3 inches of soil. Also, think about adding composted, weed free cow or horse manure, well composted kitchen scraps ( no meats, fats) and dried leaves and twigs. Adding sugar free Coca Cola will hasten the decomposition, and adding Perlite will further improve drainage, although you may need to dig soil amendments to a depth of 12-18 inches.

Using a mulch of pine needles, hardbark mulch, or hesvy guage black plastic ( with holes for heat release ) in your garden, and a below surface "drip soaker hose" will reduce evaporation.