courtesy : traveller

What’s a Miyawaki forest and why is it taking over our cities?

Designed by Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s, these urban forests are grown using the Miyawaki method. Such forests can be grown in small patches in urban areas or even in your backyard, and typically make use of native or local seeds and saplings. What’s unique about this? These forests grow quickly in small areas and consist of densely packed trees and shrubs, ideal for cluttered urban landscapes. The plants and trees grow upwards towards the sunlight and the biodiverse forest also attracts fauna like butterflies and bees that are beneficial for the ecosystem.

What is the Miyawaki method

The first step begins with locating an area that is at least three to four meters wide and is well-exposed to sunlight, preferably eight hours or more. You then prepare the soil so that its composition is ideal for growth. Typically, perforators like wheat husk or corn husk are used for water to seep through the soil, along with cocopeat that helps the soil to retain moisture. Manure or organic fertilisers can also be used to make the soil fertile. The next step is choosing different varieties and native species of plant saplings for instance, neem, jamun or tamarind to create a biodiverse forest space. Ideally, different species of plants should be placed together so that no two saplings of the same species are planted together. The saplings should also be planted in a multi-layer fashion beginning with a shrub layer (up to six feet), followed by a sub-tree (up to 12 feet) and tree layer (up to 25 feet), and ending with a canopy layer (up to 40 feet). Saplings should be planted, maintaining an approximate 60-centimetre distance between them and should have bamboo sticks tied to them so they remain upright. Once everything has been planted, make sure to water the patch everyday.