What is the Miyawaki Method?
Master botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki’s inspiration came from nature’s ecosystems in which 100% native, organic, dense and diverse pioneer forests grow in two to three decades. They are quicker to establish and contain significantly more diversity than traditional forest plantings and, after a few years, are maintenance free. They can be established on sites as small as 25m², although 100-250m² allows greater biodiversity to develop.
STEP ONE
Identify natural local native vegetation – not just what is growing locally now but what grew on the site in centuries past. Ideally, four layers of vegetation are planted to create resilience, with canopy trees, trees, sub-trees and shrubs from 40 to 60 different species.
STEP TWO
Prepare the soil to be soft, crumbly and fungi-dominant, and to enable roots to quickly establish and access nutrients. Miyawaki recommends digging out the whole soil structure one-metre deep. Because this is a huge undertaking, it requires mechanisation even for a tiny forest. The soil is then mixed 50% with other organic material such as compost, wood chips, nut or rice husks.
STEP THREE
Plant three to four young plants per square metre in a random manner to replicate how saplings grow in nature. Young, small plants are more adaptable than older plants and establish symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi in the soil faster than larger saplings.
STEP FOUR
Mulching the forest is the key to protecting the soil while plants establish. Mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture and supports top-down feeding of earthworms, beetles and other insects. A forest planted by using the Miyawaki method is self-sustaining and maintenance-free after three years. The ongoing costs of pruning and disease management are eliminated because the forests are stable.