The Miyawaki method is a way of planting native forests to promote fast growth and biodiversity. It was originally developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki and has been used in a number of countries around the globe including here in Ireland.
In a nutshell it is simply planting a number of different types of native trees very closely together to stimulate rapid growth as they all reach for the light. The variety of trees you use creates ideal conditions for the maximum number of native species of insect and fungi. It is being used in urban areas with as little as 5x4 metres.
Here's some tips if you have the space and want to try your hand at it.
Choose your trees.
Which trees you choose depends very much on your site. If you have an overly boggy area for example you will need wet loving trees such as Alder, Birch and Willow. The list of Irish native trees is vast so you will need to research which are native to your area. A good site to check this is 'The Tree Council Ireland' which can be found at www.treecouncil.ie which has a huge amount of information all about our native trees.
Prepare your site.
Once your trees are chosen and you have decided on the area you will need to kill off whatever is growing there now. Mow down any grass and weeds and place cardboard or tarp down over the area to smother anything still there. This should be left in place for about 1-3 months to ensure nothing is left.
If you have a problem with deer or rabbits you may need to fence off the area as they will strip the bark and kill your trees before they have a chance to get started!
Planting.
They should all be no bigger than a metre tall when planting and it's best to try and get bare root stock but you can use potted if not available.
The trees (you can also use some native shrubs) should be planted beside each other with about half a foot between them or around 5 plants per square metre. They should be randomly placed and not in lines to give it a more natural look.
If you do intend to put a lot of shrubs and smaller plants in it is better to give the trees a bit of time to establish first before putting them in, around a year or two should suffice and just be careful not to be too rough with the tree roots when planting them.
November to March is when trees are dormant (and also bare root season) so this is the best time to be undertaking the task especially if you are intending to do it in a large area. The trees will be a lot less stressed and so establish themselves quicker and the stock will be a lot cheaper!
Be sure to stake your trees when they're first using something such as Grow It Round Tree Stakes and Gardman Twisty Tie, to help them grow straight.
So even if you have a small area the Miyawaki method is a wonderful way to get a quick forest and promote the native flora and fauna in your area.
