This video is in response to those who say, “There’s no space around the house. The house occupies the entire plot. How can a Miyawaki forest be put up on the terrace?” But let me tell you something else before I go into that. While introducing the Miyawaki Model for the first time, we had mentioned that soil up to a metre in depth has to be removed, mixed with manure and other ingredients, and put back to make the seedbed. That is a costly business. Besides, digging is not required if the plot is not rocky or does not have laterite soil. If the terrain is rocky or the soil is laterite, and digging is not done, the roots may not be able to go deep or spread wide. Hence, we suggest a newer and easier model. If the soil is good, half a metre of top soil should be removed and set aside. The next half-metre layer of soil should be loosened – using a spade, pickaxe or JCB, as required – mixed with cow dung powder, goat droppings, compost, coir pith, dry leaves or wood shavings, and then mixed with the top soil that had been removed earlier. This process can be finished in a day, and will bring down the cost considerably. Now, let me speak about the model for the terrace. The terrace can be prepared to accommodate a Miyawaki forest at the time of construction itself by reinforcing the concrete, and giving it a fibre coating. Fibre coating will cost Rs 90 per sq. ft., and the entire surface area of the terrace will need to be covered in order to avoid leakage. Even otherwise, we need not fear the possibility of water seepage because we commonly build water tanks on our terraces. Here, we present another model using a fibre tank. It is slightly expensive – the cost may come to Rs 6,000 or Rs 7,000. But it will be able to accommodate big trees as it is nearly one metre tall.
We will show you how trees will grow in it. The potting mixture has already been transferred into it. Now the saplings have to be planted. Along with fruit trees, you may include flowering and vegetable plants. This tank covers roughly two sq. m. Three trees and a few sub-trees too may be planted here. We can have up to ten plants, and fill the intervening spaces with tomato plants or spinach. The second point that needs to be addressed is that of irrigation. Fill earthen pots with water and place them inside one foot deep pits. They may have to be filled with water from time to time. The porous walls of the pot will allow water to seep through, and maintain wetness in the soil. During summer season, even if you go somewhere, this arrangement will work for a couple of days. Another solution is to repurpose one litre, liquid detergent refill packets made of plastic. After you have used up their contents, and cleaned them thoroughly, fill them with water, place them in the tank, and pierce them with a safety pin. Water will trickle in drops, and keep the soil wet for an entire day. These are a few experiments you can adopt. We are also in the process of trying out such options, and so cannot give any assurances right now. However, the earthen pot solution is a tried-and-tested model. We adopted it after seeing how it was successfully used in permaculture in Europe. A major doubt raised by people regarding Miyawaki forest on terrace is whether the structure will bear so much weight. I believe it will. But you may consult your engineer. In the house I had built and occupied earlier, I did large-scale farming in my terrace garden using concrete buckets, each weighing nearly 80 kilos. Transporting them to the top required herculean effort.
Much later, when they had to be brought down, we had to empty them of the soil first. My architect had assured me that the building could bear weight, up to 400 kg per sq. m. My logic worked this way – if four or five individuals, each weighing nearly 100 kg, stand on the terrace, the building comes to no harm. The only difference is that an assembly of four or five persons does not put a permanent, heavy pressure on the building. But the trees in these tanks will not weigh so much. They will reach only a maximum of 100 kg. Besides, their branches may be pruned so that they put out flowers and fruits. You may add more of cow dung powder which will, in course of time, get absorbed into the soil. Coir pith and rice husk do not weigh as much as the soil. Take care to place the tanks either close to the walls or on top of the beams. Leave the space in the middle of the terrace vacant, and place the tanks along the sides. The next issue is about the cost. A sum of Rs 7,000 for a tank is not small, and not all can afford it. I myself invested the amount only for the sake of the experiment. An alternative is to purchase damaged water tanks from shops. They are available at Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 a piece. Split one tank into two, cross-wise. Each segment will be two-and-a-half feet tall. The top half will have an opening. You may either screw the lid back on or cover the hole using a tin plate, a net or a plastic sack. Ensure there is an outlet for water. There is an expert manufacturer at Kozhikode whom we may approach if we can place bulk orders. In that case, the price may come down to Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,000. If that idea comes through, I shall certainly let you know. Meanwhile, this water tank model is a workable option. Please try it out for yourself.