Forty-six days ago, I set up my Gardyn — a hydroponic garden system that grows up to 30 plants at a time and is automated by an AI assistant named Kelby — and yesterday I had my first harvest. I started with the Salad Lovers bundle of seeds that came with the garden, so I’m currently growing mostly salad greens along with a few herbs. My very first harvest was one of those greens: Tokyo Bekana.
Tokyo Bekana is technically a mild mustard green in the cabbage family, but it eats very much like a tender lettuce. It has a bright, clean, slightly peppery flavor and a soft-but-crunchy texture. It grew quickly — about 45 days from a tiny sprout to a full head with leaves nearly six inches long.
The Gardyn app suggested Tokyo Bekana as a great candidate for lettuce wraps, and that’s exactly how I’ve been using it as I harvest. The leaves work beautifully as a wrap for the white bean salad I’ve been enjoying all week, and this weekend I plan to kick it up a notch by making a Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe from one of my favorite Chinese cookbooks.
Would I Grow Tokyo Bekana Again? Yes.
Yes — absolutely. After my first harvest, Tokyo Bekana has been fast-growing, easy to harvest, and genuinely tasty. It would be a great addition to any salad mix and works just as well on a burger or sandwich as it does in lettuce wraps.
What About the Rest of the Gardyn?
The first forty-six days have been both painless and productive. The Gardyn is almost completely automated, maintaining its water levels and light schedule on its own. So far, I’ve added water and plant food twice when prompted, and today I gave the roots a trim — also prompted by the app.
What’s next?
More salad greens are just around the corner. I’ve got several other lettuces, along with spinach and bok choy, nearly ready for harvest. The cilantro is filling in nicely too, and I’m sure it’ll be making its way into the kitchen very soon. Also, I had to share a photo of this gorgeous Red Tatsoi – look how beautifully that grows in!
Peppers and strawberries will take a bit longer, but I’m excited to see how they develop in the Gardyn. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as I continue harvesting!
For a first harvest, I couldn’t be happier with how simple and productive the Gardyn has been so far. Growing fresh greens indoors — especially in the middle of winter — has made it easier to cook the way I already like to cook, and I’m excited to see how the rest of the plants progress. I’ll continue sharing updates as I harvest and cook my way through this Gardyn, starting with whatever’s ready next.
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