01 / Know the place
Record the site history, slope, drainage, sunlight, soil texture, compaction, utilities, access, and nearby habitat. Get permission and locate underground utilities before excavation.
Evidence, not hype. Dense native planting is a design approach, not a guaranteed shortcut to a mature, self-sustaining forest. Published studies vary in methods and follow-up. Start with local ecology, site conditions, and maintenance capacity.
Before you put a spade in the ground
Use these prompts to assemble a responsible project brief. Species, spacing, soil amendments, permits, and water needs must be selected for the actual site with qualified local guidance.
02 / Define the reference ecosystem
Identify the locally appropriate native plant community for this soil and landform. A nearby park is not automatically the right reference. Consult an ecologist, native-plant specialist, or regional conservation group.
03 / Build a diverse palette
Document candidate canopy, sub-canopy, shrub, and ground-layer species, their provenance, mature size, water needs, and availability. Do not treat a generic species list as a Central Texas prescription.
04 / Design density from evidence
Published Miyawaki-style projects use dense planting, but exact spacing depends on species, stock, site, climate, and care. Ask the project ecologist for a written spacing rationale before estimating stock.
05 / Prepare the soil carefully
Use a soil test and document how the proposed preparation addresses compaction, drainage, contamination risk, and organic matter. Avoid blanket amendment recipes; they can be wrong for the site.
06 / Budget for survival
Budget beyond planting day: watering, mulch replenishment, invasive control, replacement plants, volunteer coordination, accessibility, and monitoring. Assign an owner for each task and season.
07 / Agree on stewardship
Name the landowner, project lead, watering team, escalation contact, and long-term maintenance partner. Record access rights and what happens if the original organizer leaves.
08 / Measure what happens
Choose repeatable measures such as survival by species, canopy cover, volunteer hours, and maintenance effort. Publish the baseline, method, and follow-up dates; do not promise biodiversity or carbon outcomes in advance.
Make the first brief
Enter project assumptions. The calculator reports arithmetic only; it does not choose a planting design.
Set a density from a site-specific design before calculating plant count.
References & limits
- Journal of Applied Ecology: evidence review of Miyawaki-style tiny forests (2025)
- American University of Beirut: Miyawaki method review brief
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: native plant database
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: native plant resources
Unofficial educational project. This is not a forestry prescription, ecological assessment, permitting guide, or promise of forest outcomes.