When we look at young trees planted in the city, we rarely stop to consider which method lies behind their appearance in that particular spot. Yet the planting method matters enormously – it determines how quickly a functioning ecosystem will form, how many species will find shelter in it, and how well it will cope with difficult urban conditions. In our projects, including the Green Pulse of Poland (Zielony Puls Polski) carried out together with Stellantis Philanthropy in Poland, part of the global automotive group Stellantis, we use various planting methods, tailoring them to the specific location and goal. One of them is the increasingly popular pocket forest method.
Two philosophies of tree planting
Traditional planting, the one most of us are most familiar with, is based on planting trees at regular intervals, usually of one or a few species, with the mature, final crown size of each tree in mind. It is a proven method, used for decades in forestry and urban greenery, giving predictable results over large areas.
A pocket forest works in a completely different way. It is based on a method developed by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, who as early as the 1970s observed that mimicking the natural processes of forest succession makes it possible to recreate a healthy, self-sufficient forest ecosystem much faster than traditional methods – and on an area as small as a tennis court. Within the Green Pulse of Poland project, we use this method where space is limited and the need for a fast ecological effect is high – often precisely in dense urban fabric.
Density that changes everything
The most characteristic feature of the Miyawaki method is planting density. While a traditional forest is usually planted with one or two trees per ten square meters, the same area in a pocket forest can hold as many as several dozen saplings. This density is not accidental – it is a deliberate use of the phenomenon of competition.
Trees growing close together compete for access to light, which makes them grow faster than they would under conditions with plenty of space. At the same time, their root systems intertwine, forming a shared network through which the trees can exchange water and nutrients via mycorrhizal fungi. The effect is striking: pocket forests reach structural maturity up to ten times faster than plantings using the traditional method, and within just a few years of planting they become a dense, multi-layered ecosystem.
Species selection as the foundation of the method
The second pillar of the Miyawaki method is the careful selection of native species, matched to the soil and climate conditions of a specific location. They are planted in several layers that, in a natural forest, would appear one after another over the course of decades.
Pioneer species, such as silver birch or alder, grow the fastest and are the first to provide shade and improve soil structure. Sub-tree species fill the middle layer of the forest, while the target species – such as pedunculate oak or common hornbeam – grow more slowly, but over time it is they that take over the forest canopy and give it a lasting, multi-generational structure. This selection mirrors the natural process of ecological succession, only compressed in time and space.
It is precisely this multi-layered structure that allows a pocket forest, despite its small area, to accommodate a richness of species comparable to a much larger, traditional planting. As part of our projects in Katowice, based partly on this method, we plant as many as seven different native tree species on a single small plot.
When we choose the Miyawaki method, and when traditional planting
In practice, there is no single universal method for everything, which is why in our projects, including within our cooperation with Stellantis Philanthropy in Poland, we tailor our approach to the specific context. A pocket forest works perfectly where the available space is limited – on small residential plots, post-industrial sites, or strips of green space between buildings that would otherwise remain unused.
Traditional planting remains the better solution where a larger area is available and we want to create a forest structure that mimics natural, extensive ecosystems – for example, when creating ecological corridors connecting larger forest complexes. The two methods complement each other, and the choice between them depends on what a given location can offer and what the surrounding ecosystem needs most.
Katowice as an example of the method in practice
This year, as part of joint efforts with Stellantis Philanthropy, we planted two pocket forests in Katowice, each with 700 trees. They were created on small, previously unused fragments of urban land – exactly where the Miyawaki method works best. In a few years, these inconspicuous plantings will cool the area on hot days, retain rainwater, and provide shelter for insects and birds, while also serving as a living example of how a small area can turn into a dense, self-sufficient ecosystem.
Actions of this kind are at the heart of the Green Pulse of Poland project, carried out by the One More Tree Foundation together with Stellantis Philanthropy. The project combines specific plantings with ecological education, showing that behind every planting action stands a well-thought-out methodology – not just good will, but also knowledge of how to support local ecosystems most effectively.
Methodology, not just good will
Choosing between a pocket forest and traditional planting is a decision that requires understanding the specifics of a given place – the available space, soil conditions, and the goal we want to achieve. It is precisely this awareness that distinguishes well-considered ecological action from randomly planting trees wherever there happens to be room.
The Miyawaki method shows that even a small patch of land in the middle of a city can become a real, thriving forest – all it takes is the right knowledge of how to select species and how to combine them.
The Green Pulse of Poland project is carried out by the One More Tree Foundation in cooperation with Stellantis Philanthropy in Poland, part of the global automotive group Stellantis.
