How microforest planting can bring multiple benefits
Traditional planting schemes favour neat rows of trees spaced 2m-3m apart; but nature doesn’t plant trees that way. Seedlings grow where conditions are best and chance and evolution dictate what arrives where, in what numbers and with what success. Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021) developed an idea of very dense, species-rich tree planting which has led to a microforest movement, with small, intensive planting schemes increasingly adopted for urban fringes where physical and psychological need for nature is at its most acute.
A new microforest planned for Leeds has just been in the news. ‘A tiny forest consisting of 1,200 trees and shrubs in Leeds hopes to bring health and environmental benefits to the city centre. Using the Miyawaki tree planting method, the mini woodland on Bow Street aims to mimic natural forests but in a space the size of a tennis court.‘
The Miyawaki method mimics nature: trees are grown very close together, and the competition, shade and shelter prompts them to grow at a much faster pace than standard tree planting. One huge benefit is that they can be established in very small spaces – as little as the size of a tennis court. Internal space and seating can easily be incorporated for social and wellbeing benefits.
For more on the science and method behind the Miyawaki method, see this article by Dr Simone Webber.
If anyone out there has a space they think might be right for a microforest, please get in touch with us – we’d be delighted to hear your plans; and happy to help with design and logistics.