Seed sowing help

Hi all,
I wonder if I can get some advice on seed sowing?

This is only my second year of gardening and last year I spent a fortune on plants from the garden centre.
This year I have bought plug plants mail order, bought some dahlia's and bergonias as bulbs and sowed some seeds.
It's the seeds I'm none to sure about.
I'm sowing 2x types of Viola's, 1x Pansy, 1x Delphinum, 1x Ladybird Poppy and 5 different types of Sunflowers (30 Individual 4" pots)
I'm currently growing them in my dining room on/near window sills. Most have Germinated and are growing great (except the Teddy Bear sunflowers!!)
The advice I need is what now.
Although I've followed the instructions on the back of the packets, It's still very cold out.
The sunflowers are getting pretty large (a couple are nearly 6"'s already). I've read that after a week of the sunflower growing, they must be planted outside, but on the back of the seed packet (sutton's), it says to sow in March and plant out in May!
With the other seed's, they are growing in trays of 24 per tray. When do I pot them on to individual pots.
I do not have a cold frame but are waiting to take delivery of a 6' x 2' small greenhouse.
Can anyone give me advice. I understand the plants will need hardenining, but surely I cannot start this process yet.
I also, understand that I may have ruined my sunflowers and may need to start again in a month or so. If not, please let me know.
Sorry for the long rant, I hope it all makes sense.
Thanks in advance

 

Bashy, with the sunflowers, I would put them outside during the day, as long as it`s sheltered they should be fine. But bring them in at night. With the other seedlings, they need to be pricked out asap, or they will go leggy. How soon before the greenhouse arrives?

 

Bashy, I grow sunflowers from seed, every year, the Teddy Bear should be OK, just give them time..

 

should be next week at some point.
What does pricked out mean, does it mean in individual pots?
When the greenhouse arrives, should I transfer everything in there (and the sunflowers at night)?

 

Thanks Youngdaisydee, but have I not started them too early, a couple of the tall singles are 6 inches and growing really fast.
I will start putting them outside during the day as daitheplant advised, I hope this will harden them up enough. Can I just build a wooden frame, say 2 foot high with no lid, just to keep them seltered from any wind. Would this be enough?
Also, Should I put the tall singles into bigger pots, I read somewhere that sunflowers have a tap root that goes quite deep and if not planted in the ground early enough it stunts their growth!

 

If the weather warms up over the coming week I would leave them outside at night, but for the next few days you need to harden them off. So, out during the day in at night. When pricking out, it doesn`t have to be into individual pots. You could prick, say 12 to 15 seedlings into another seedtray. Or into a multicell tray.

 

thanks Daitheplant.
Your'e all so helpfull on this forum, I wish I found this last year. It would have saved some mistakes.
I am learning...

 

Bashy, the only way to learn is by your mistakes, we`ve all been there. That is why we are all happy to help each other on this site. ( That, and the �£5oo a year retainer Nathan pays us.) :D

 

I Havent started mine yet Bashy, next weekend i think,.. i usually keep them near a wall,"outside" and at night i put a sheet of glass over the top untill they germinate, then i put them under one of my seats in the garden.. It works for me..
I only grow the small sunflowers Bashy, but I know there all hardy, why dont you start some more off now, and repot the already germinated ones.

 

Hi Bashy Igrow mine in cardboard tubes from the center of kitchen rolls,put them in a container so they stand in a bundle(put a elastic band around to hold them together) fill them with compost pop our seeds in,when they start growing it allows the tap root to develope and is less wasteful of compost,plant the whole tube when they have hardened off.

 

What a great idea Walnut!
How far down the tube do you sow the seed?
When do you usually plant out into the ground?

 

Hi Bashy about 8-10mm i'll be looking at April some are hardier than others,always be prepared to cover things up if late frosts are threatend I just throw some fleece over things.