How to Grow Sunflower Shoots

Sunflower shoots add a subtle nutty flavor to salads and recipes. The vitamin C, chlorophyll and beta-carotene levels of sunflower seeds increases when you grow them into shoots. They are also high in protein, B vitamin complex, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, zinc and essential fatty acids. Sunflower shoots are typically sprouted in trays, which will produce a new harvest every 10 days. You can get three to four harvests from each tray you plant before it stops producing.

1 cup sunflower sprouting seeds
Jar
Starter tray with lid
Vermiculite
Spray bottle
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Measure out 1 cup of seeds and place them in a jar. Add 2 cups of water to the jar, and let the seeds soak overnight.
- 2
  Fill you starter tray with vermiculite. Spray the surface of the soil with enough water to dampen it.
- 3
  Drain the water off of your sunflower seeds and spread them evenly over the soil in the trays so that they don't overlap.
- 4
  Spray water over the seeds to dampen them. Cover the tray with the lid, and place it in an area where it will get three hours of indirect sunlight each day.
- 5
  Add about 1/2 inch of water to your tray each day. Harvest the sprouts when they reach about 8 inches in height by cutting them with scissors at the soil surface.
- 6
  Continue to water your sunflower tray each day to get about three to four more harvests. Compost the tray contents after a month when no more shoots are being produced.

Types of Perennial Sunflowers

How to Grow Dwarf Sunflowers

Growing Sunflowers