by Blue Lightning

Created on: May 29, 2008   Last Updated: June 10, 2008

It was a glorious spring day in the middle of May, and also my very first time working with sweet corn. I honestly had no idea what to do. My mother read the instructions carefully and, after planting the seeds (which were corn kernels), told me that it would take 7-14 days for the corn to actually break through the soil, depending on the weather conditions. So, I prayed to the Lord that it would all work out.

After Mom had left for work, I decided that I'd better water the corn every day - or at least until the soil had turned a dark brown instead of almost black. I grabbed a 64-ounce glass from the kitchen and watered the soil for about eight days. I even watered it on cold 50 degree days, and it didn't seem to do any harm. I checked on it occasionally, making sure the soil hadn't uncovered any seeds. When I saw that it hadn't, I eased up a little. I still looked at it, though, only not as much.

Finally, the eighth day arrived, and I wondered if that was the moment of truth. I peeked on the corn that morning... Nothing yet. Checked again in late afternoon... And noticed little green stubs poking through the soil. A smile spread over my face; the prayers had worked. Determined to keep those stubs growing, I placed them where they would receive full sunlight. I peeked on them again the ninth day, and realized that because of what I did, they grew a little taller.

I was so happy the corn had taken to the soil. Both Mom and I thought that we had done well for first-time corn planters. Accomplishing such a task isn't easy, and sometimes it seems that the experienced farmers sometimes fail when they attempt to plant their corn and first-timers succeed. It is weird, but I think I like it that way, and apparently, so does Mom.

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