 How to plant sunflower seeds? Sunflowers are annual plants that produce large or small yellow flowers in the summer. Sunflowers are very popular because of their beauty, and because they are easy to grow. Planting sunflower seeds in the spring can be a fun activity for adults and children. You can plant sunflower seeds with a minimum of time and preparation. Germinating sunflower seeds. Check the outdoor temperatures. While sunflowers can be started indoors, they work best if they're started in the ground. Sunflower roots are sensitive to being moved, so transplanting them may kill them. They grow best at temperatures between 64 and 91 F18 to 33 C, but you can plant at slightly lower temperatures, once the last frost has passed. Sunflowers usually take 80 to 120 days to mature and produce new seeds, depending on the variety. If the growing season is shorter than this in your area, plant the sunflowers two weeks before the last frost, most seeds will probably survive.Aria-label equals, link to reference 3, greater than sunflowers usually take 80 to 120 days to mature and produce new seeds, depending on the variety. If the growing season is shorter than this in your area, plant the sunflowers two weeks before the last frost, most seeds will probably survive. Select a sunflower variety. There are many sunflower varieties and hybrids, but most gardeners will only need to look at a couple characteristics, usually described on the seed packet or online listing. Be sure to check the sunflowers maximum height, since this ranges from dwarf varieties under 1 foot 30 cm, to giant sunflowers 15 feet 4.6 m or taller. Also, decide between a sunflower that produces one stalk and flower, or one that branches out into multiple stalks with several smaller blooms. It is not possible to grow plants from roasted sunflower seeds, but you can grow it from sunflowers in bird seed, as long as the outer shell is present. Fold the seeds in a damp paper towel. Moisten a paper towel slightly, so it is damp but not soaked or dripping. Place the sunflower seeds on one half of the towel, then fold it over to cover them. If you have a large number of sunflower seeds, and don't mind a lower success rate, you can skip straight to planting. Seeds planted directly in the soil typically take 11 days to emerge. If you have a long growing season, try germinating seeds in batches 1 or 2 weeks apart, so you'll have blooms in your garden for a longer period of time. Keep the paper towels in a plastic bag. Put the damp paper towels in a plastic bag. Check on them once or twice a day, and continue once the seeds have sprouted. Typically, you'll see sprouts emerge from most of the seeds within 48 hours. Once this happens, move on to planting the seeds. Keep the paper towels at a temperature above 50 F10C for best results. Clip the edge of the seed shells if necessary. If the seeds don't sprout within 2 or 3 days, try using a fingernail clipper to remove the edge of the shell. Be careful not to damage the seed inside. Add a few more drops of water if the paper towels are drying out.