How to Grow Geraniums for Essential Oil

Place a peat moss disc for each seed onto a disposable pie tin. These discs serve as excellent substrates for germinating seeds and can be found in garden supply shops.

Place a single geranium seed, which is tiny and black, into the dip of each peat disc. Select a variety of geranium that is most fragrant such as the rose geranium or wildwood geranium. These highly scented cultivars produce colorful blossoms that contain aromatic oils.

Administer 1/2 cup of water to each peat disc containing a seed. The peat disc will immediately swell up as it absorbs the moisture -- and it will envelope the seed.

Place the pie tin in a sunny windowsill. Leave it there to germinate the flower seeds for four days.

Add another 1/2 cup of water to the peat discs and leave them for an additional three to four days. During this time the geranium sprouts should poke through the tops of the peat discs.

Fill a flower planter measuring 16 inches deep and at least 12 inches wide with potting soil. Fill it 3/4 of the way with a potting soil that is formulated for growing fragrant flowers. These differing soil formulas can be found in garden shops.

Place each peat disc directly into the container, about an inch into the soil. This covers the disc but leaves the sprout of the geranium plants atop the soil. Two or three geranium plants produce enough blossoms to make powerful essential oil for personal use. One plant yields approximately 1 oz. of essential oil, depending on the cultivar.