Micro-forests are growing in popularity across Australia, cropping up in tiny spaces as small as a car parking spot. These miniature ecosystems mimic the natural processes of a larger forest ecosystem, capturing carbon, breaking down organic matter to sustain itself, and creating habitat for wildlife, all while providing attractive greenery with an immediate cooling effect in warm urban areas.
Also known as “tiny forests” or “pocket forests”, these dense patches of nature differ from green spaces featuring mass plantings or ornamental landscapes. Micro-forests, by design, aim to include as much biodiversity as will fit in their space, even if the total number of plants is the same as any other garden.
Officially, micro-forests follow three main principles:
- Well-prepared soil with plenty of organic matter
- Plant species native to the space, covering all the forest layers
- Plants situated close together
A micro-forest environment encourages plants to grow quickly as they compete for the plentiful nutrients in the soil. With all layers of the forest ecosystem supporting each other, a well-designed micro-forest will need less care than, say, a lawn requiring frequent mowing, or a mass-planted garden bed requiring constant weeding.
These days, as we look back on larger, more ambitious tree planting projects that have failed in the past, there’s a strong case for small-scale biodiverse plantings as a community-led effort.
The Microforest Mindset: Appreciating diversity
What we call the “micro-forest mindset” is all about appreciating diversity and living in harmony with the natural world.
This means appreciating that a micro-forest next to an inland primary school playground will look very different to a micro-forest on a coastal verge, since plants best suited to those environments will differ. Likewise, a micro-forest in a vacant industrial lot will look different to one planted in your own backyard, since each space entails different uses.
In our work, we deal with a range of people relating to nature in different ways. Some want to improve on learning environments at their kids’ schools. Some want to make their backyards more pleasant or functional by growing their own bushfoods. Some wish to maintain a connection to nature without going all-in on looking after a garden.
So, naturally, each person’s journey (from zero to forest) will take a different path. While we can’t give individual advice through a blog post, here’s what we broadly recommend to people looking to plant a micro-forest depending on their situation:
For parents and teachers planting a micro-forest at school
The planning and planting of a school garden tends to be straightforward. However, the biggest challenge lies in getting buy-in and cooperation from stakeholders and students. Even when everyone agrees on having a micro-forest on school grounds, you’ll still need to negotiate issues around task delegation, hazards and safety, and budget requirements. And, most importantly, ongoing maintenance – especially when planting an edible bush tucker forest.
We suggest engaging groundskeepers, teachers, parents and other key stakeholders as early as possible, and keeping them involved throughout the planning stages.
Tips for success:
- Choose a space where you can plant a natural garden in the ground.
- Choose child-friendly plant species (less of an issue in high schools and adult colleges).
- Think holistically about how a micro-forest can be introduced into lesson plans and classroom activities, eg. bushfood tasting, cooking lessons.
For food-lovers seeking a more garden-to-table lifestyle
Most of the micro-forest messaging you’ll see in the Australian media prioritises native plants local to a region, and projects with a budget and team of dedicated people. This is with good reason, but an edible micro-forest in your home has a different purpose (and most likely a different budget)!
When your primary goal is to supplement your kitchen with homegrown herbs, veggies and fruit, you’ll want to let your taste buds lead the way. In this case, it’s perfectly fine to choose a mix of native and exotic species to suit your household needs. But remember that the more adapted a bushfood plant is to your micro-forest environment, the easier it will be to care for.
Tips for success:
- Consider which plants work better in your area, eg. sea vegetables if you live near the coast.
- Include plenty of native pollinator plants so your forest serves both exotic and native bees.
Consider choosing ornamental bushfood species to enjoy decoration as well as food.
For urban plant-lovers without a garden at home
When you don’t have much of a backyard, balcony gardens and indoor gardens are the next best thing. Many native Australian plants prefer living outside with more space, but you’ll still find species that will thrive (and even produce food) indoors.
Even when you’re not planting a ‘proper’ micro-forest, a dense enough container garden can still bring benefits like localised cooling, carbon capture, increased biodiversity in your immediate area, and a habitat for (smaller) wildlife. Plus, planting and caring for your sort-of micro-forest can still offer genuine stress-relief benefits and fun.
Tips for success:
- Start small and build your collection slowly, so you can gradually adapt your routine and schedule – and plan for when you leave home for extended periods.
- If you’re extremely low on space, try planting a terrarium using micro-forest principles as a way to develop your nature smarts before eventually committing to a larger garden.
- Look around for a community garden or join a local volunteer group aiming to re-wild vacant lots and dusty verges in your area.
For community-focused lovers of native plants
Street verges and empty lots are perfect spots for local re-wilding, particularly in older industrial suburbs prone to dust and pollution, or in new developments where street trees are still young. While yarnbombings and guerilla gardening are both novel activities, micro-forests do their best work when permitted to stick around over the long term.
To ensure plants don’t get removed by the local council, get permission first. Include in your application a plan for how your community group intends to use the space; a list of locally native plant species from all micro-forest layers (canopy, shrub, herb, and forest floor); and a clear outline of what’s required from both your group and the council (think short term and long term).
Tips for success:
- Try to include at least three examples of successful community-led micro-forest projects in your application.
- Managing volunteers can become tricky as people’s circumstances change. Plan to keep an influx of new local volunteers on an ongoing basis to avoid the worst-case scenario.
- If information on locally native plants is lacking, it’s okay to supplement your micro-forest’s biodiversity with council-approved exotic plants.
For casual green-thumbs and novices
Even veteran gardeners can get overwhelmed when dealing with many different types of plants at once – especially when there’s an infestation of pests and diseases. If you’re a newbie, anxious gardener, casual green-thumb, or someone with a busy life, our best advice is to start small and focus on the plants that excite you the most. Where formally organised micro-forest planting projects see the whole forest planted at once, you’d be better off starting with a handful of your favourite natives, and adding more over time.
We recommend 5–10 different species minimum (across the canopy, shrub and herb layers) plus compost and mulch (for your “forest floor”). This gives you the beginnings of a relatively biodiverse garden that gradually becomes a dense micro-forest as you add new species. Your saplings won’t get the benefit of a dense, competitive environment, but in return you can take your time getting used to all these new living things in your life.
Tips for success:
- Start with plants that evoke fond memories, favourite herbs, or natives that attract your favourite local wildlife. You’re more likely to enjoy a garden that makes you feel good.
- While waiting for your plants to grow, read up on common plant pests and diseases (and what to do about them) so you’ll know how to spot them early and deal with problems before they get out of hand.
- Invite a friend to join you on your micro-forest journey. If you’re lucky, they may offer to help with the digging and planting!
The journey of a thousand plants begins with a single bush
Bushfood for Beginners is a handy “getting started” guide for novice and anxious intermediate gardeners ready to connect with Australia’s ecological and cultural roots. Packed with tips and advice from the seasoned green thumbs at Tucker Bush, it aims to help any enthusiastic gardener take the first step in their long and bountiful bushfood journey.
Get your copy in the Tucker Bush shop
