What do you think of when you hear the word forest? Stands of massive redwoods? Old growth forests in Canada? A national forest? The “North Woods” of Central Park? Each of these locations would be a correct example, and all of them share something in common: size. Naturally, we tend to think of forests as large entities—sprawling tracts of shaded acres, filled with trees, shrubs and wildlife.

With such a definition, there are many locations where growing a forest would seem impossible. Towns and small cities might have public tracts of a few vacant acres, but who would think to try to develop a forest there? And densely urban areas may have even less—perhaps only a handful of vacant spaces hardly bigger than a tennis court. If forests must be large, are urban areas simply out of luck when it comes to the joy of a densely growing, lush, wooded area?

Maybe not, it turns out. A current movement to create tiny forests, sometimes called mini or pocket forests, embraces small, vacant areas. This Miyawaki Method is named after the Japanese botanist who developed the technique. Growing multiple mini forests throughout urban areas allows nature and native species to better coexist with city infrastructure, while providing closer access to nature for people and animals. 

How does a mini forest work?

In nature, building a forest from scratch takes time. Completely barren soil has to be refreshed by a slow succession of pioneering species that help reclaim the land. In your garden, you add compost to return nutrients to spent soil. But in a natural forest, this process occurs over many years as native trees progress through multiple forest phases, which gradually increase the size and complexity of the forest until the final phase, the “climax forest,” is reached. In a man-made mini forest, the goal is to increase the speed of these activities and jump straight to the climax forest without waiting decades through the early phases.

The mini forest is accomplished by densely planting only native species from the target climax phase. This ensures that all of the trees will automatically receive the correct amount of sunlight and water for their needs (though very young mini forests may benefit from additional watering). Because the critical pioneering phases are bypassed, the soil for a mini forest must be heavily amended prior to planting—but once established, mini forests are intended to be self-sufficient.

Fast growth = many benefits

Because a mini forest is going straight from zero to climax, people, birds, and animals get to enjoy the natural space sooner—sometimes within 20 to 30 years! Speedy growth also helps mini forests attain another one of their goals—easy maintenance. A natural forest doesn’t require a lot of intense daily care in the way a garden does; and a mini forest should be essentially self-sustaining. If the native trees and shrubs are able to grow quickly and rapidly create a dense canopy, there won’t be much room—let alone light—for troublesome and unwanted plants like weeds and non-native species to thrive. And if there are limited weeds, there should be limited maintenance needed. The simple aim for a mini forest is to grow virtually unassisted!

How ‘mini’ should a mini forest be?

There is no set size to a mini forest, but instead the idea is to mingle forests into whatever spaces might be available—sometimes only a few hundred square feet, sometimes many acres. But it’s the ability to grow many tiny forests in humble places that is so powerful—it’s a way to bring biodiversity into areas that are otherwise lacking, to beautify an area, to naturally improve air and water quality, to reduce the heat in a concrete-overrun urban area, and to collect carbon and release oxygen.

Mini forests close to home

You don’t have to travel far to see the concept of a mini forest in action. The neighborhoods of Rondo and Frogtown in Saint Paul are both currently growing mini forests, with an emphasis on the human health benefits that trees can present. You can see the mini forests in person during some of the community events, and maybe even pick up some ideas for establishing a mini forest of your own. It’s an attainable project and tons of fun at the same time!

Daniel Johnson is a Wisconsin-based freelance writer, professional photographer and co-author of over a dozen books. See his garden and animal photography at foxhillphoto.com.