How to Begin a Sunflower Plant

Sunflowers are one of the easiest flowers to grow, reports Iowa State University. Although you can buy young sunflower plants in a nursery or garden store, you can also start them on your own using sunflower seeds. Start growing sunflowers as an attractive border plant or to harvest their seeds, which you can roast and enjoy as a healthy snack.

Sunflower seeds
Spade
Organic compost

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until the outdoor soil temperature reaches a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is necessary to support optimal sunflower seed germination.
- 2
  Break up the soil to a depth of 6 inches using a spade. Add in organic compost or rotted manure.
- 3
  Bury the sunflower seed 1/2 inch below the surface of the soil. If you're planting more than one sunflower seed, leave 6 inches between each seed.
- 4
  Water the area twice a day to keep the soil moist. The seeds will sprout within five to seven days.
- 5
  Thin out the plants once they're 6 inches tall, pulling out the weaker, smaller seedlings so that the remaining sunflower plants are 24 inches apart.

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