HYDERABAD: Climate change is no more an issue that can be swept under the rug any longer. From the heatwaves across Europe and the melting icebergs, global warming is making its presence felt loud and clear. While superpowers in the world still continue to bury their heads in the sand, a few countries are showing the way to combat the crisis. Recently, Ethiopia planted 350 million trees in a day. Closer home, the Haritha Haram programme by the Telangana government aims to increase the green cover in the state. A number of green fighters from the city too are doing their bit to save the environment by planting trees and producing their own food in an organic way.
Vikram Pariyada, of Madinaguda, who says that he has been inspired by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s initiative to make the state greener, has been using the Miyawaki Method to grow a tiny urban forest in front of his apartment at Madinaguda. When asked how he was inspired to start the same, he says: “I had been reading about the loss of green cover everywhere, and the impact is being felt.
I came upon this method of creating dense forests in small areas (just 100 sq meters) called the Miyawaki Method which was a pioneer by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. The technique encourages growth of native species of trees planted densely (300 trees/100 sq meters) which results in 10 times faster growth, 30 times denser plantation and absorbs 30 times more CO2 than conventional plantation methods. The main purpose of creating an urban forest is for the oxygen and green cover. However, you can choose to have more fruit trees and also harvest fruits for free!”
Talking about the fruits he is growing, he adds: “I have pomegranate, sitaphal, ramphal, sweet lime, apple ber (Indian plum), drumstick (Moringa), neem etc. I also had banana and papaya planted, which I removed after harvest. They seemed to shade other saplings and slow their growth too.”
Prepping the soil
Vikram uses only natural materials to prepare the soil.“Initially, the soil needs to be prepared by mixing vermicompost (nutrition), coco peat (water retention) and husk (aids root growth). After plantation, a think layer of mulch (I used a good 8-10 inch layer) is all that is needed which will decompose and not only provide fertilizer, but also prevent loss of moisture due to evaporation, reducing the watering effort and saving water. It also protects the top soil from harsh sun, helps soil fertility and growth of beneficial microbes,” he says.
Adding that Miyawaki Method calls for minimum human intervention, he says: “Nature is allowed to take its course here which is perfect for busy city folk. You only need to water the saplings and that too, for up to two-three years, before the forest becomes completely self-sufficient. The dead leaves drop to the forest floor and create more mulch, adding nutrition to the soil.
Investment made
Throwing light on how growing a tiny forest does not involve much expenditure and time, the green thumb says: “Unlike conventional gardens, Miyawaki forests are free of maintenance, except for watering them for the first two-three years. Procurement of plants and digging up the soil for preparation are the only costs involved. I spent less than `8,000 for my project in about 100 sq feet, which is not much compared to creating a regular garden of exotic plants. However, in terms of benefits, a forest is a hundred times better than a normal garden.”
So how does one go about it? “Any one with space as small as 30 sq feet can create a Miyawaki forest. All the details required are available online on the website of Afforest, a company that creates forests on a commercial basis, but they are kind enough to share all knowledge for free. Just download and plan your own forest. Identify species which are native to your area, so not just us humans, but other life forms like birds, insects, worms also benefit from it,” adds the forest grower.
kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @KakoliMukherje2