Micro-forests

Since the first Miyawaki forest was planted in 2016, Urban Forests has planted more than 56,000 m² of microforests in over 100 projects in Belgium and France.
Urban Forests positions itself as a pioneer of the method in Europe. The Miyawaki method is characterised by:

• Preparing and revitalising the soil using natural soil improvers such as mulch, compost, manure and straw.
• Selecting the plant community that is most representative of the ancestral forest and planting a variety of species to develop biodiversity.
• Planting at high density and allowing the vegetation to develop spontaneously with very limited maintenance only during the first 2 to 3 years.

Urban Forests can create a micro-forest anywhere as long as a number of requirements are met:

• Minimum of 100 m² (up to a maximum of 3000 m²);
• A location without underground pipes;
• A minimum plot width of 5 metres;
• A minimum distance of 5 metres from buildings;
• The plot is accessible with a crane (or small crane);
• There is a permanent contact person throughout the project.

Urban and peri-urban areas

• Respect and/or improve the specific ecological characteristics of the area (e.g. the topography, the type of landscape, the local plant and animal life);
• Set up a biodiversity-friendly management system (e.g. rewilding, reduced mowing of parks, gardens, talus, ponds, no chemicals);
• As much naturalness as possible/as little alteration as possible of the initial landscape (landscape, quality of water, of soil, …);
• Incorporate the developments into the surrounding area and environment;
• Use native species/subspecies that are more resilient and resistant to climate change, if appropriate.

A micro-forest requires little maintenance. Weeding is required up to three times during the first two to three years. After that, the forest is self-sufficient. During periods of severe drought, the microforest can also be watered. Urban Forests offers remote monitoring and a simple maintenance sheet.
We are constantly looking to improve our technique through feedback, which enriches our know-how on a daily basis. Over time, we have also improved our technique by paying increasing attention to the quality of soil preparation, the choice of species and the accuracy of maintenance. This has led to even better results.