Find a planting location that gets full sun, which is eight hours daily. The soil in the planting site should be well-draining so it will not collect standing water after rainfall. Wait for the last frost to pass before planting the seeds.
Cover the planting site with a 2-inch layer of compost and turn it into the soil at a depth of 6 inches with a shovel.
Place the Autumn Beauty sunflower seeds on top of the soil every six inches in a row. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of soil. Water until the soil settles.
Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist to the touch until the seeds germinate. When the seedlings are established, remove the weakest or smallest ones, leaving only one plant every 12 inches.
Pull up any weeds that emerge. Pull them up by hand, or cut them off at the root with a garden hoe. Remove weeds for the entire life of the sunflowers.
Reduce watering after thinning the seedlings. Allow the soil to become dry between waterings, then water until the soil is moist 3 to 4 inches below the surface.