How can we have a Miyawaki forest in our compound? What are the benefits? These are a couple of frequently-asked questions I get. Let me show you a successful model of a Miyawaki forest that Mr Cherian Mathew has created in his plot. He planted the saplings in August 2019. There are nearly 88 plants and trees belonging to 60 different species in this one-cent area. He should have planted a few more. But he says he had many vegetable plants, and he harvested their fruits too. Some of them still remain. Brinjal, for instance. Also thorn apple, elephant yam, African bird’s eye chilly, ginger and many other items. There are gaps in between. This is a model that can be successfully implemented.
The speciality of this Miyawaki forest is that at least ten varieties of plants produced fruits within these two years. Let us find out more from Cherian sir. From this elephant yam plant, we can safely predict the yam will weigh at least four or five kilos. The stem looks really sturdy. We don’t see such robust growth usually in our garden plots. Similarly, it was a mere piece of ginger that has grown so profusely here. The Malay gooseberry has grown so big it is at least 15 feet tall. It also has produced fruits. The guava tree has put out fruits. The sugar apple tree too. These sugar apples are far tastier than those we get from the market. It tastes almost like ice-cream. Thorn apple has medicinal value. This is chironji. It should smell like mango but I don’t seem to get that fragrance. It is large-flowered bay tree that smells like mango. There are two Indian rosewood trees. But they have not grown thick. They are thin and tall, maybe because they belong to Cherian sir! This is three-leaved caper. Star fruit. It bore fruits last year. In fact, it has been producing fruits for a year now.
To those of you who ask about the benefits, here is the answer. The trees that add value to your forest are sandal, red sandal, camphor and others. This is Lindley’s aporosa. This also is a fruiting tree. This is Spicate eugenia, grown by Cherian sir for nostalgic reasons. In earlier times, children would thread its seeds to make garlands. Its uniqueness is that it takes on different colours on becoming mature. This is smooth rattlebox. It attracts the most number of butterflies. A jack tree has been planted. Look at the thickness of the trunk. In two years, it has grown 15 feet tall. This is a citrus tree that has borne fruits. This is allspice. A single piece of ginger was what has grown like this. You can plant ginger in vacant spaces in Miyawaki forests like this.
This is Indian bael. It is not used in Kerala at all. But it is a major food item in North India. The fruits are used to make sherbet. There is one bael tree on the Vylopilly Sanskriti Bhavan grounds in Thiruvananthapuram. It was when I saw a few North Indians visitors pluck those nuts, break the shells by hitting them against the floor, and eat them that I realized they are edible. Later, I saw this sherbet sold in Delhi during summer. We don’t use it in Kerala; rather, we permit it to go waste. Only Ayurvedic physicians find use for it. Bael has medicinal properties and we should try our best to make sherbet from it. I don’t know the method. But it must be available on the internet.
Coral berry tree. It has put out berries in profusion. Is it for the first time? Yes. This tree attracts a lot of birds. He has planted four or five coral berry trees in this piece of land. Rambutan. It has grown taller than me but not Cherian sir. Another one. I saw four or five rambutan plants. This is neem. Gooseberry. This has grown the tallest. More than 20 feet. Chandramukhi rudraksha. Where did you get it from? From Adimali. This is a rare variety. Sage-leaved alangium. It shows good growth. It is the only know remedy against rabies in Ayurveda. But the stem has to be kept erect with a stake. That’s because pruning has not been done, sir. Why did you cut the coffee plant? It had grown well. Well, precisely because it is coffee, isn’t it? Local plants don’t seem to enjoy much respect, it seems!
Guatamalan indigo. This is used to make medicinal oil for hair growth. It is said that chewing leaves of Guatamalan indigo and Lucas together is a very good antidote for snake venom. Herb-of-grace. I know that it is in use in Ayurveda but don’t know the disease it is used against. Arabian lilac. There is a sandal tree here. It is different from the commonly seen one. The sandal has a number of varieties. We just saw a butterfly now. My colleague Bhadra, after consulting Wikipedia, tells me it is Chocolate Albatross. Let the butterfly experts tell us. We saw many butterflies here. This is Ceylon olive, a plant that grows very slowly. But this one is seven or eight feet tall and healthy. The Ceylon olive in my compound has not grown so much.
This house is about 100 metres away from the main road. But with all these trees and plants, the place has a different ambience altogether. Let us compliment Cherian sir on this achievement. It is a model that can be replicated by all. The forest has been made in a one-cent bit of land. There are about 20-25 useful plants and fruit trees. There are other trees for birds. Some are grown for their medicinal value. In four to five years, this place will look entirely different. It will conceal the front part of the house. The veranda will not feel hot. Cherian sir used up the garage space in order to put up this forest. Let us share our happiness over this decision of his. May I hope that more people will do similar things and reap benefits from them.