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The #MiyawakiMethod: Imagining a #MiniForest’s Potential
An excerpt from #MiniForestRevolution by #HannahLewis.
"Making a Mini-Forest: The Basics
"Rejuvenating the soil is one of the basics of creating a mini-forest on a degraded site.
"In fact, it’s the critical first step—the goal is to simulate the living soil of a healthy, mature forest.
"This happens naturally during the stages of ecological succession, but because the Miyawaki Method skips immediately to the climax stage, some preparation is required to compensate.
"In the absence of a loose soil with plenty of organic matter, trees will struggle to grow properly. In a Miyawaki forest project, the soil is typically recharged by decompacting and amending the site with organic ma
... show moreShared by a friend here on Mastodon...
The #MiyawakiMethod: Imagining a #MiniForest’s Potential
An excerpt from #MiniForestRevolution by #HannahLewis.
"Making a Mini-Forest: The Basics
"Rejuvenating the soil is one of the basics of creating a mini-forest on a degraded site.
"In fact, it’s the critical first step—the goal is to simulate the living soil of a healthy, mature forest.
"This happens naturally during the stages of ecological succession, but because the Miyawaki Method skips immediately to the climax stage, some preparation is required to compensate.
"In the absence of a loose soil with plenty of organic matter, trees will struggle to grow properly. In a Miyawaki forest project, the soil is typically recharged by decompacting and amending the site with organic materials.
"Planting Density
"Planting density is another signature of the Miyawaki Method.
"Conventional wisdom says that plants compete for light, water, and soil nutrients; therefore, plants should have lots of space between them to reduce that competition.
"But it’s not how a Miyawaki forest works.
"For a Miyawaki forest, the standard planting density is three plants per square meter. This density helps achieve the goal of ecosystem regeneration.
"After all, in a natural forest, plants are not evenly and widely spaced.
"Dense planting stimulates mutualistic and competitive interactions among the plants and facilitates connections with soil microorganisms. It also promotes virtuous competition for sunlight, hastening upward growth.
"Mulching
"Mulching is a critical component of the Miyawaki Method.
"After planting, the ground is covered with a thick mulch similar to fallen leaves on a forest floor. Indeed, once the young trees have had a chance to mature, they will contribute leaf mulch to the forest floor naturally.
"Mulch protects the bare soil from water loss by evaporation, from erosion, and from temperature extremes. Mulch also suppresses weed growth and eventually decomposes into the soil, enriching it.
"As they become established over the first few years, the plantings typically need occasional watering and weeding, but after three years the young forest patches are developed enough to shade out weeds and shelter the soil.
"They are then generally self-sufficient and need no maintenance of any sort—no pruning, no watering, no fertilizing, no pest control—ever."
Read more:
chelseagreen.com/2024/the-miya…
#SolarPunkSunday #Community #Resilience #Farming #Homesteading #Gardening #UrbanForests #Miyawaki #Rewilding