Geranium is an outdoor cold–resistant perennial. The name comes from the Greek word meaning "crane", as the ripe seed pods resemble a crane's beak in shape. The flower is unpretentious, does not require special care, and even the most inexperienced novice florist can easily grow it. It is believed that geranium leaves are able to attract love. Young girls carried them with them in special bags to evoke reciprocal feelings in young men…

 Before you start sowing directly, you need to do some preparatory work.

 Scarification. This is scratching the surface of the seed coat with some sharp tool (for example, a file, a nail file, or at least sandpaper). You need to do everything very carefully, remove only the top layer, trying not to damage the seed. This procedure is necessary for faster emergence of sprouts. If it is neglected, shoots may appear only after two or three months.

 Preparation of the soil. You can buy land for planting geraniums in a specialized store, but it is better to prepare it yourself. There is nothing complicated about it. You will need to take two parts of turf soil and one each of sifted river sand and high-quality peat. Mix everything thoroughly and place in a preheated oven for three to five minutes.

 Disinfection of planting material. Soak the seeds for 15-20 minutes in ordinary hydrogen peroxide.

 Soaking. Disinfected seeds are filled with water at room temperature and left for two to three hours to swell.

 It is best to plant geranium seeds in flat containers, about 4-5 centimeters high. For this purpose, it is good to prepare transparent food containers with lids. The container is filled with soil, not reaching the edge of a centimeter and a half, a little rammed by hand, leveled. Then, with a stick or a finger, make small depressions at a distance of 4-5 centimeters from each other. Seeds are placed in the pits and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. Lightly compacted and moistened with a sprayer.

 It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature and humidity of crops, provide air ventilation. To do this, the container is covered with a lid or plastic wrap, in which small holes are pierced.

 It is convenient to grow geraniums using peat tablets. In this case, the plant will not be injured when transplanted into a larger pot, the root system develops without damage. It is best to buy small-volume tablets. To prepare the tablets for planting, they need to be soaked, for this purpose the products are placed in a wide and deep dish (given that when they swell, they will increase in size by about six times) and filled with warm water.

 As soon as the peat gets wet, depressions are made in the tablets and seeds are planted, sprinkling them with earth or peat. It should be remembered that it is impossible to keep crops until seedlings appear on the windowsill, especially in the bright sun. The room temperature should not fall below 20-22 degrees.

 First, the seeds should be germinated, wait for the emergence of seedlings. After that, the lid is removed from the container and put it in a well-lit warm place. Organize timely watering, as young plants can quickly die from lack of moisture. You can water it with a spray gun or a teaspoon under each bush. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid stagnation of water, this leads to rotting and death of seedlings.

 Also, the ground must be loosened periodically to ensure air access to the roots. Of course, this should be done very carefully. Fertilizing at such a young age is not necessary for seedlings yet, since there is a necessary supply of nutrients in the soil.

 After the young seedlings have two pairs of real ones, you can start transplanting into separate pots with a diameter of about 10 and a height of 12-15 centimeters.

 Picking seedlings is a very important operation. The main thing is not to miss the right moment, and divide the plants until their roots are intertwined. Separate with a fork, a teaspoon or a small spatula for the care of indoor flowers. Before starting work, they are watered abundantly.

 At the bottom of each pot, a drainage layer of one and a half to two centimeters is laid. Then fill with soil for two-thirds of the volume, set the excavated seedling in the middle, and carefully pour the earth to the desired height. Lightly pressed with fingers, compacted. A little watered, along the edge of the pot, so as not to blur the earthen lump.

 In the first days, the unpeeled seedlings need shading from direct sunlight. In the future, he feels good in bright lighting, on the southern windows. Properly planted geraniums germinate quickly and look healthy. So that in the future the bushes do not stretch out and delight with an abundance of flowers, as they grow, the tops are pinched.

 Separately, it should be said about the seedlings, which will then grow outside: seedlings need to be tempered, kept until planting in the ground in a cool, but well-lit place. If possible, it is recommended to transplant it into a nursery or greenhouse.

 Stick to these simple tips and the geranium will delight you with its magnificent flowering for many years.