For people in the West with hard packed soil, dry conditions and frequent high winds, I found a way to retain water in soil for plants outside of greenhouses (hay, grains, etc.).
Dig a trench. Do so in line with a contour if on a slope (more or less keep the trench level). Bury wood in it (rotten trees, limbs, whatever), and cover it back up with soil. Keep the surface more or less smooth and level with surrounding soil afterwards. Let the wood rot in the soil. Try growing grains or whatever along that area after a couple of years or so. The soil should stay loosened up for a long time, and the water shouldn’t evaporate so fast during windy days.
As a point of clarity, what do you mean by along the trench.
Is that on top of the area where you put the wood, or is it around the perimeter of the area?
Thanks for the tip. I have gobs of unused wood from the trees we cut down to make room for more gardens.