FORESTIFIED
A unique blend of architecture and horticulture
Since 1971, Vannah Company. has specialized in transforming landscapes into award-winning extensions of your home.
Through our unique horticultural and architectural expertise, outdoor spaces (gardens, bowers, pools, ponds, patios, porches, and decks are re-imagined, becoming peaceful retreats that offer a welcome respite from everyday stress. This is Vannah Company. — thoughtful landscape design informed by your personal objectives, tastes, and styles. urban forest private forest farming
CREATING FOREST SURROUND YOUR HOME
URBAN FORESTRY
Creating a forest around your home is a beautiful and impactful way to contribute to sustainability, support biodiversity, and enjoy the peacefulness of nature. Here are some key steps you can follow to establish your personal forest:
Assess Your Space and Climate
Land Size: Consider the available space around your home. Whether it’s a small garden or a large plot of land, plan how much of it will be dedicated to the forest.
Climate Conditions: Understand the local climate, including temperature, rainfall, soil type, and sunlight. This will influence which species of plants will thrive in your forest.
Select the Right Tree Species
Native Trees: Choose native tree species as they are well-suited to the local environment and are more resilient. Native plants also provide food and shelter for local wildlife.
Diversity: Opt for a mix of trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants. This will enhance biodiversity and mimic the natural ecosystems in the region.Consider Growth Patterns: Be mindful of how large trees will grow, ensuring they don’t overshadow your house or other plants.
Prepare the Soil
Soil Testing: Test the soil to understand its pH, fertility, and drainage capacity. You can improve soil quality by adding compost or organic matter to enhance nutrient levels.
Mulching: Mulch around new plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and enrich the soil.
Planting Trees and Shrubs
Spacing: Plant trees at a sufficient distance from each other and from your house. This will allow them to grow without overcrowding and minimize the risk of roots damaging your foundation.
Layering: Plant in layers: tall trees for the canopy, medium shrubs for the understory, and ground covers for the forest floor.
Watering and Maintenance
Watering Schedule: Newly planted trees and plants require regular watering. Set up a watering system or water manually, especially during dry spells.
Pruning and Thinning: Regularly prune dead branches and thin overcrowded areas to encourage healthy growth and allow more light to reach the plants.
Sustainability Practices
Composting: Use organic waste from your home to create compost, which can be used to nourish the soil and minimize waste.
Natural Pest Control: Avoid chemicals. Instead, introduce beneficial insects, like ladybugs, to control pests naturally.
Encourage Wildlife
Wildlife Corridors: If possible, plant a variety of flowering and fruiting plants to attract birds, bees, and butterflies.
Water Features: Adding a small pond or birdbath can help attract wildlife and provide hydration for animals in the area.
Long-Term Care and Observation
Monitoring: Track the health of your trees and plants. Take note of any disease or pest outbreaks and address them promptly.
Evolving Forest: Over time, your forest will evolve, and you may need to introduce new species or remove invasive ones to maintain balance.
Community Engagement
Sharing the Concept: Engage with neighbors or your local community to promote the idea of creating personal forests. It can spark a movement toward greater environmental consciousness.
By creating a forest around your home, not only do you enhance the beauty and tranquility of your surroundings, but you also contribute to climate action and biodiversity preservation. This aligns well with your Forestification goals and the broader sustainability efforts you are championing.
Key Aspects of the Miyawaki Method:
The Miyawaki Method is indeed a transformative approach for creating forests quickly and efficiently, especially in urban or degraded areas. Developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s, this method focuses on planting native species of trees and plants in a highly concentrated space to create dense, biodiverse micro forests. These forests not only improve the local ecosystem but also contribute to carbon capture and help restore natural habitats.
Native Species Selection: By using native plants, the forest quickly adapts to its surroundings and supports local wildlife. Native species are also more resilient, require less water, and can thrive in the local soil conditions.
High Density Planting: The trees are planted closely together in a small area, which mimics the natural forest structure. This close planting helps the trees grow faster, as they compete for sunlight and nutrients, which stimulates faster growth.
Diversity of Flora: Instead of a single species of tree, the Miyawaki method incorporates a diverse range of plant species. This diversity ensures a healthier, more resilient forest ecosystem and attracts a variety of wildlife, enhancing biodiversity.
Minimal Maintenance: Once established, these micro forests require little maintenance, as the plants naturally support each other. The dense canopy reduces weed growth, and the micro-ecosystem self-regulates, requiring less intervention.
Fast Growth: Because the method mimics the natural process of forest development, the trees grow rapidly—often reaching a mature state within a few years instead of decades. This makes the Miyawaki method one of the fastest ways to create a forest cover on degraded land.
Benefits of Micro Forests:
Carbon Sequestration: These forests capture carbon at an accelerated rate due to the rapid growth of the trees, making them highly effective in combating climate change.
Improved Air Quality: Trees absorb pollutants and provide oxygen, which improves air quality, especially in urban areas.
Biodiversity Boost: A healthy mix of species attracts a wide range of fauna, creating a local habitat for birds, insects, and small animals.
Aesthetic and Health Benefits: Even small micro forests provide a calming, green space that can help reduce stress, improve mental health, and enhance the beauty of urban environments.
The Power of Even Small Micro Forests:
Even if you have limited space—such as the size of a tennis court—a micro forest can still make a significant impact on the environment. Whether you're looking to revitalize a degraded plot of land, enhance a residential area, or contribute to global sustainability efforts, the Miyawaki method offers an accessible and powerful solution.
How to Get Started with Micro Forest Installation:
If you're interested in starting your own micro forest, it’s essential to:
Choose a suitable location (even small urban plots work well).
Select native plant species suitable for your climate and soil type.
Work with experts who can guide the process and ensure successful planting.
If you’re interested in the installation of a Miyawaki micro forest, feel free to reach out for more detailed guidance and expert help. This initiative can support your sustainability goals and add significant value to the environment.
URBAN FOREST BY MIYAWAKI
An urban forest encompasses the trees and shrubs in an urban area,1 including trees in yards, along streets and utility corridors, in protected areas, and in watersheds. This includes individual trees, street trees, green spaces with trees, and even the associated vegetation 2 and the soil beneath the trees.
The Miyawaki forestation method is a unique way to create an urban forest and is pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. ... In the Miyawaki technique, various native species of plants are planted close to each other so that the greens receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards than sideways.
This method involves planting three to four saplings per square meter, using native varieties adapted to local conditions. A wide variety of species – ideally 30 or more – are planted to recreate layers of a natural forest. ... “Miyawaki forests grow in two to three years and are self-sustaining, like how a forest is. American forests
AFFORESTATION
Afforestation is the process of introducing trees and tree seedlings to an area that has previously not been forested. Afforestation can be done through tree planting and seeding, naturally or artificially. Similarly, reforestation can be considered a form of afforestation.
Afforestation helps to ensure that there are enough forests for wildlife to thrive in. Those animals pushed from their natural habitats by human activities can relocate to the new forests. For this reason, afforestation can aid in protecting wild animals.
The process of afforestation begins with site selection. Several environmental factors of the site must be analyzed, including climate, soil, vegetation, and human activity. These factors will determine the quality of the site, what species of trees should be planted, and what planting method should be used. The UNFCCC defines a forest as an area of land 0.05–1 hectare in size, of which more than 10–30% is covered by a tree canopy.
OXYGEN PLANT(ER)S
BANYAN TREE
The banyan tree and the neem tree are excellent examples of plants that not only contribute significantly to oxygen production but also have medicinal properties, making them incredibly valuable for both the environment and human health.
Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis)
Oxygen Production: Like many other trees, banyan trees play a vital role in oxygen production. The process of photosynthesis in banyan trees, including Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) at night, helps emit oxygen even during the dark hours. This can be a significant benefit, especially in areas with low sunlight.
Oxygen Output: A large banyan tree can produce approximately 6,000 pounds of oxygen annually, which is enough to support several people. A single banyan tree can potentially supply enough oxygen for an entire family.
Medicinal Properties: The banyan tree is known for its various medicinal uses in traditional medicine:
Bark: The bark is used to treat ailments like diabetes and digestive problems.
Fruits: The fruits are often used to treat respiratory disorders.
Leaves: The leaves and their extracts are believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, often used in treatments for skin conditions, fever, and to strengthen immunity.
Ecological Impact: As a large and expansive tree, banyans create a unique environment for birds, insects, and other wildlife, offering shade, shelter, and a habitat for various species.
Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica)
Oxygen Production: The neem tree is another powerhouse of oxygen production. Though it is not typically a CAM plant like the banyan, it still plays an important role in releasing oxygen and purifying the air. Its leaves are known for their dense foliage, which contributes to its high oxygen output.
Medicinal Properties: Neem is often referred to as the "village pharmacy" due to its wide range of health benefits:
Antiseptic: Neem is known for its ability to fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and is commonly used in treating skin conditions like acne, eczema, and fungal infections.
Antimalarial: Traditionally, neem has been used to treat malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases due to its insecticidal properties.
Detoxification: Neem is often used in detoxifying treatments, with the ability to purify blood and improve overall health.
Ecological Benefits: Neem trees not only help improve air quality by emitting oxygen, but they also act as a natural pest repellent, reducing the need for harmful chemicals in agriculture. Additionally, they support biodiversity by providing food and shelter to numerous animals.
Green Forests and Oxygen Emission
Green forests, especially those composed of oxygen-producing trees like banyan and neem, are vital to combating air pollution, mitigating climate change, and improving the overall quality of life. The importance of planting and preserving forests cannot be overstated:
Carbon Sequestration: Trees absorb CO2, helping reduce the greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.
Cooling Effect: Forests help cool the environment by providing shade and releasing moisture through transpiration.
Biodiversity: A mix of tree species, including medicinal trees like the banyan and neem, ensures a thriving ecosystem.
How You Can Contribute
You can help support the environment by incorporating trees like the banyan and neem into your landscape or through forestation projects. Here are a few ideas:
Planting: If you have space, plant a banyan or neem tree around your home or within a community park. These trees offer shade, oxygen, and medicinal properties, making them valuable additions to any green space.
Supporting Reforestation: Support local and global reforestation projects that focus on increasing the tree cover in degraded lands. The Miyawaki Method, for example, can be used to rapidly create forests with diverse species, including these oxygen-producing trees.
SLEEP WITH BANYAN
At night there is no photosynthesis due to the absence of sunlight but respiration goes on in the plant cells. Therefore there is a lot of carbon dioxide and less oxygen around the tree at night. ... Therefore it is not advisable to sleep under the tree at night. green forests neem tree oxygen banyan tree oxygen
BANYAN MEDICINE
Medicinal uses: The Banyan tree also has several medicinal properties. Its leaf, bark, seeds, and fig are used for a variety of disorders like diarrhea, polyuria, dental, diabetes, and urine disorders. ... They can also be taken internally to cure diarrhea and dysentery. green forests neem tree oxygen banyan tree oxygen
PEEPAL TREE
Why does the Peepal tree give out oxygen at night!!! The Peepal tree releases 24 hours of oxygen and determines atmospheric CO2. No tree releases oxygen at night. We also know that plants mostly produce oxygen during the day, and the process is reversed at night.
According to the science of Ayurveda, every part of the peepal tree - the leaf, bark, shoot, seeds, and its fruit has several medicinal benefits, and it is being used since ancient times to cure many diseases. ... Peepal fruit can also be taken for cough, pitta, blood-related problems, burning sensation and vomiting etc. green forests neem tree oxygen banyan tree oxygen
NEEM TREE
The plant is versatile and enriches the air around it, giving a strong scent of purity to its surroundings. The neem tree is the highest oxygen-producing tree.
Neem leaf is used for leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum disease (gingivitis), and liver problems. The leaf is also used for birth control and to cause abortions. green forests neem tree oxygen banyan tree oxygen
ALOE VERA
Aloe Vera. Whenever a list of plants with benefits is made, Aloe Vera tops the charts always. Listed as one of the plants improving the air of NASA, Aloe Vera emits oxygen at night and increases the longevity of your life.
“It contains antioxidants, enzymes, Vitamins A and C, and it is highly anti-inflammatory. It can help treat burns, acne, and dry skin.” Chang added that when it comes to acne, Aloe Vera works best on superficial surface acne rather than cystic or deeper acne. green forests neem tree oxygen banyan tree oxygen
Plant a Tree – Create a Forest
Donate Now –
Be a part of something bigger. Your contribution can restore forests, protect wildlife, and combat climate change.Every tree you plant supports a healthier planet for future generations.
$1 plants 1 tree – A simple step toward a greener world
$10 plants 10 trees – Leave a lasting impact with a family tree cluster
$500 plants 500 trees – Restore an entire acre of forest
$5000 plants 5000 trees – Build a legacy under your brand name
Ways to Give:
Gift a Tree – Celebrate milestones by planting a tree in someone’s honor
Memorial Tree Planting – Dedicate a living tribute to loved ones
Adopt a Forest Plot – Convert unused land into thriving ecosystems
We plant in India, Sri Lanka, Greece, and beyond, updating you on the growth of your trees.
Join us today—every tree counts, every drop matters! 🌎
