- Which location does the liquorice need to thrive?
- Which substrate can the plant make friends with?
- Buy young plants or rather sow them yourself?
- When does the licorice bloom?
- When and how do you harvest the roots?
Whether for the production of liquorice, to sweeten tea, as a natural and tasty teething aid for babies or as a medicinal herb - liquorice can be used in many ways. You don't have to buy it, you can grow it yourself!
Licorice is a delicate plant that bears purple flowers in late summer
Which location does the liquorice need to thrive?
The liquorice feels very well in a sunny to semi-shady location in a wind-protected location. Due to its long taproot, it is not suitable for pot culture. It is better off in a cottage garden or a herb bed, for example.
Which substrate can the plant make friends with?
The substrate plays a crucial role if you later want to harvest the roots or runners of the liquorice. The best harvest results are obtained in a substrate with the following characteristics:
- profound
- loamy
- wet
- nutritious
- humorous
- not too hard
- permeable
Buy young plants or rather sow them yourself?
In order to save time and effort, it is advisable to buy young plants. Sowing often turns out to be extremely tedious and unsuccessful. Do you still want to try sowing? Then note the following:
- normal germs
- Sow directly outdoors from May
- or preculture from the end of February to March
Anyone who decides on the preculture should sow the small seeds in a pot. The seeds are sown between 0.5 and 1 cm deep. If the soil is kept evenly moist and the seed pot is at a temperature of around 20 °C, the seeds will germinate after 7 to 30 days.
When does the licorice bloom?
Licorice blooms relatively late. As a rule, the flowering period in this country begins around the beginning of August and lasts until October. During the flowering period, violet-blue to cream-white flowers are presented, which are held together in a spiked inflorescence.
When and how do you harvest the roots?
You have to wait three years before you can harvest the liquorice roots for the first time. The plant needs this time to develop strong roots. Harvest the secondary roots or runners in autumn! The taproot is not harvested.
tips
When planting, make sure to keep a distance of 50 cm between the individual specimens!