Planting, maintaining & using licorice ̶- Plantura

Licorice, also known as the liquorice plant, is not only the main ingredient in making the black candy. Also impresses in the garden Glycyrrhiza glabra with their special leaves, bluish flowers and easy cultivation.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is not only used for the production of liquorice, this plant and its roots are also of great importance in naturopathy. However, if you want to grow licorice as a useful plant, you need patience, because mainly the roots are used. However, it takes about 4 years until harvest, as the plant first has to develop enough root mass. Since the liquorice plant is very easy to care for, it is also suitable as a purely ornamental plant for many gardens. This article will tell you everything you need to know about Glycyrrhiza glabra, for example about the planting of licorice or the effect of the licorice root.

Licorice: taste, origin and properties

Originally, the real liquorice probably comes from Southwest Asia. However, the plant makes relatively few demands on climate and location, so that it can be grown worldwide. In Germany, the liquorice root used to be at home in many cottage gardens and was already used in the 15th century. Century cultivated extensively in the Bamberg area. Its medicinal properties were already known back then, as was the fact that the root can be used as a sweetener due to its glycyrrhizine content. For today's pampered palate, however, the sweetness is of secondary importance, rather the slightly bitter, tart and the liquorice taste reminiscent of anise dominates.

Licorice is a deciduous, perennial, herbaceous perennial that can reach heights of 60 to 180 cm. The wood in the name of the liquorice plant is somewhat irritating because liquorice is not really a tree. Rather, “wood” here refers to the roots and rhizomes of the licorice shrub, which are light brown in color and are heavily lignified. The roots are primarily harvested and used. They can reach lengths of up to 12 m and a mass of 30 to 40 kg per plant.
Licorice belongs to the family of Butterflies (Fabaceae). This can be seen, among other things, in the butterfly-like, mostly blue-violet flowers, which can only be seen relatively late in the year between August and October. The licorice leaves also have a very special appearance: They are pinnate, with 9 to 17 arrow-shaped pinnate leaves. This is the name given to plant leaves that consist of several separate leaves.

Tip: There are two main types of Chinese licorice used in China. The roots there are mostly from wild plants of the species Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis and Glycyrrhiza uralensis harvested. They are very similar to real liquorice in terms of appearance, growth and ingredients. The licorice species Glycyrrhiza uralensis however, remains a bit smaller with a stature height of about 100 cm.

Planting licorice: location, soil and Co.

Planting licorice in our latitudes usually succeeds without major problems, even if the plant is not native here. Licorice prefers a sunny to full sun location with loose, nutrient-rich and, above all, deep soil. The depth of the soil is of particular importance, as liquorice forms a large taproot that grows deeply. Very clayey and compacted soils should therefore be rich in sand and loose potting soil such as ours, which is rich in nutrients Plantura organic universal soil be enriched. In commercial cultivation, liquorice is grown on dams, comparable to asparagus or potato dams (dam culture). If dam culture is possible in your garden, this type of cultivation is recommended. It will make the harvest a lot easier for you later.

Licorice seeds can be sown outdoors from the end of May. However, it is usually more successful to grow them in-house. If you use seeds that you have harvested yourself, you should store them in the refrigerator for two to four weeks beforehand. The seeds need a cold stimulus to germinate.

Procedure for sowing:

• Sowing indoors is possible from the end of February. Store self-harvested seeds in the refrigerator for two to four weeks beforehand. To increase the germination rate, the licorice seeds should also be soaked in water for 24 hours.
• Then the seeds can be sown in cultivation containers and covered with a thin layer of soil. A loose substrate like our Plantura is deliberately low in nutrients Organic herb and seed compost suitable. The small plants cannot utilize too many nutrients well.
• Now you should put the vessel in a place about 20 ° C and keep the soil constantly moist, but not too wet.
• The seeds only begin to germinate after about 15 to 30 days.

If the licorice plants come outdoors at the end of May, they should be given enough space. Finally, as described, licorice forms a very strong and extensive root system with taproot and rhizomes. In our experience, a planting distance of around 50 x 50 cm is recommended.
In principle, licorice can also be grown in pots. These should be really big, however, in order to leave enough space for the liquorice to develop many root runners, especially if you want to harvest the liquorice roots later. When planting for purely ornamental purposes, the use of rhizome barriers is advisable to prevent the plants from spreading over an area.

The location requirements of liquorice at a glance:

• Sunny to full sun
• Sheltered from the wind
• Deep, loose and nutrient-rich soil
• Well drained substrate, as liquorice does not tolerate waterlogging
• Ridge culture makes harvest easier
• Rhizome barriers prevent it from spreading too much

The most important care measures for the licorice plant

Licorice is very easy to care for. If licorice has been planted in nutrient-rich soil, there is no need to fertilize it in the year of planting. In the following years, a mainly organic slow release fertilizer such as our Plantura can be used in the spring Organic universal fertilizer or compost can be used to provide the liquorice with sufficient nutrients for it to grow above and below ground. Typical herbal fertilizers should not be used for the licorice plant. They usually have too high a phosphorus content for licorice plants.

Licorice usually copes well with drought due to its strong, deep root system. However, in very hot periods with little rainfall, liquorice must also be watered approximately every two days.

tip: If you want to grow your licorice on dams, it is a good idea to dig a drip hose into the earth. This means that watering can be done evenly and in a very water-saving manner.

Licorice can withstand temperatures down to around -17 ° C, which is why the licorice plant can be considered hardy in our latitudes. Young licorice plants should still be covered with brushwood in cold winters. Once the winter is over, the plant can be cut back to 5 to 10 cm above the ground to enable it to sprout again vigorously.

Harvest licorice

If you want to harvest licorice, you need a little patience. It takes at least three to four years for the licorice plant to develop enough root mass to be able to cope with the loss of roots after the harvest. Once the plant has established itself well, it can be harvested continuously, i.e. annually. The best time to harvest licorice roots is in the autumn after flowering, as the roots contain most of the sweeteners. It is best to only harvest secondary roots and runners and leave the taproot untouched. In this way, you will still have a lot of fun with your plant in the years to come.

Licorice root: effects and uses

The list of healing effects attributed to licorice root is very long. The medicinal root was already used by the ancient Egyptians and is also one of the basic remedies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Among other things, the liquorice root has an expectorant and digestive effect and increases gastric juice secretion. The main areas of application today are therefore flu-like infections, colds with coughs and stomach problems. Licorice root tea is the most common. To do this, simply pour hot water over the chopped licorice root and let it steep for a few minutes. The licorice tea is ready!

Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which is about fifty times more sweet than sugar. Even so, the root cannot be considered low in calories, since licorice also contains fructose and glucose. However, the calories are not so important here, as significantly less is required compared to table sugar.
Despite the many positive effects of the licorice plant, the use of licorice can also have unpleasant side effects. For example, pregnant women should not consume liquorice because the roots inhibit the breakdown of the body's own cortisol. Although this is positive for inflammation, it can have a negative effect on the development of the unborn child. People with high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney problems should definitely clarify the use of licorice with their doctor, because licorice can also raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Licorice is a component of many herbal and medicinal teas. There are sure to be other herbs suitable for making tea in your garden. You can find interesting information about this and some sample recipes in our article about the best Herbal tea blends from the garden.