Kent County Council has been trying out a new method of planting trees borrowed from Japan.

The Miyawaki method, as it is known, has been used on a site in Park Wood, Maidstone, to see if it can speed up tree growth in urban areas.

The method’s objective is to restore native forests on deforested or degraded land and it has worked successfully in Asia for more than 50 years.

The Trees Outside Woodlands project has experimented with an adapted version of the planting method, using urban sites with poor quality soil and a record of previous planting failures.

The project has been running since 2020, with KCC working in partnership with The Tree Council, Defra, and Natural England.

The aim is to find reliable and cost-effective approaches for councils to successfully establish trees in both urban and rural environments, and maximise the benefits of nature for people, wildlife, and the climate.

The Park Wood site was previously a builder's yard, with compacted and degraded soil.

In 2021, a variety of native tree and shrub species were planted using the Miyawaki method, next to a comparison plot using the planting method typically used by KCC.

A recent analysis has found an exceptionally high survival rate of 99% in the area planted using the Miyawaki method.

Today, the Miyawaki method trees resemble a dense thicket of early woodland, with some of the bigger trees already reaching 15ft tall.

In the comparison plots, most of the surviving trees are also doing well with an 82% survival rate, but the growth has been visibly slower, with trees at waist to shoulder height, and some have suffered the effects of vandalism, with stems being snapped.

KCC is now in the next phase of the trial, with trees having recently been planted in a number of urban locations, including Cornwallis Park, Maidstone which is testing different elements of ground preparation from the Miyawaki method to identify what helps trees establish effectively.

Rob Thomas, the cabinet member for the environment, visited Park Wood himself with the Tress Outside Woodlands project manager Louise Butfoy.

He said: “It’s important to try a variety of methods, new and old, for establishing trees in urban settings to contribute to better air quality.

“‘Although urban tree planting can be difficult, these trials have found that adapting the Miyawaki method appropriately can be an effective way to establish young trees which are resilient to the stressors of urban areas and will boost our local ecosystem.”

A variety of native tree and shrub species were planted densely at three to five trees per square metre in prepared and enhanced soil, alongside a comparison plot using more typical planting methods.

To find out more, click here.

The chairman of Natural England, Tony Juniper, said: "There are many good reasons for having more trees in our towns and cities.

“Native deciduous species support wildlife, such as insects, birds and bats, and bring shade in summer while letting in light in winter.

“Trees help combat air pollution and enrich green spaces to promote mental health benefits. “All of that adds up to huge social benefit and invites the question of how we can support local authorities in getting more trees close to where most of us live."

"This study is looking for answers and the results will help inform future decision-making to increase successful and reliable young tree establishment and protect newly planted trees so that they grow and thrive in local areas and provide benefits for generations to come.”