The following guest blog post is by Ann Sanders, founder and editor of A Green Hand.

If you like to cook with garlic, it’s easy to grow this tasty bulb in your indoor kitchen garden. Try these simple steps to planting, cultivating and harvesting garlic indoors.

(FreeImages.com/George Georgiades)

Garlic can thrive in any season. It can even grow in winter. Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you’ll have a readily available supply of garlic chives and garlic bulbs in your indoor garden.

What you need:

1. Container with drainage holes for planting

The pot should be at least 8 inches (20 centimeters) deep and wide. The more cloves you plant, the larger the container should be. Figure on enough space for planting each clove 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) apart.

2. Garlic bulbs

Most of the garlic you find in the supermarket is chemically treated, so it won’t sprout. If the garlic bulb won’t sprout, it’s not going to grow for you.

Buy garlic bulbs from a nursery, online retailer, or grocery store that sells organically grown garlic bulbs. Green sprouts coming out of the top of the garlic bulb are an indication that it has sprouted and will grow in your indoor garden.

Choose a large garlic bulb that contains many cloves. You’ll be planting the individual cloves. When doing so, pick out the biggest cloves, as they will grow into the largest garlic bulbs.

(FreeImages.com/Iffet Sen)

3. Soil mix

Garlic grows best in a mix that retains some moisture, yet also drains well. To get this consistency, mix three parts organic potting soil with one part horticultural sand. Mix well.

What to do:

1. Fill your container with soil.

Moisten the soil mix until it’s damp. Pour the mix into the container and spread evenly. Leave the soil loose. When filling the container with soil, stop within 1 inch of the top of the pot.

2. Plant the cloves.

With the pointed part of the clove facing up, insert it into the soil. Leave the tip exposed. Plant the cloves 3 to 4 inches apart.

3. Place the container in bright light.

Your plant should receive 8 hours of bright light daily. An unobstructed eastern or southern-facing window works well. If you don’t have sufficient light, place the garlic bulbs under full-spectrum lighting.

4. Water regularly.

Maintain even moisture for the garlic bulbs, but avoid soggy soil. The warmer your house, the more water the garlic will require. Ensure that any excess moisture runs through the pot. Avoid leaving your garlic container sitting in water. This will cause rot.

5. Cut the leaves.

For the first six months of growth, if your garlic plant starts growing green leaves, cut them off at the base. Clipping the base allows energy to go toward growing the bulb. The resulting garlic chives make a tasty addition to your foods. After six months when the garlic is nearing maturity, stop clipping off the green leaves.

(FreeImages.com/Kevin Yu)

6. Harvest indoor grown garlic bulbs.

After eight to 10 months of growing indoors, garlic is ready to harvest once the green leaves brown and die. At this point, pull the cloves out of the soil and brush off any dirt that is clinging.

Cure the garlic cloves after harvest. This refers to placing them in a dry location with good air circulation and letting them hang until they’re completely dry. Once the bulb is completely dry, you can separate it into cloves and begin using the garlic.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? Let us know what you think in the comments below.