How to Grow Licorice? Remember These Three Key Growing Points
1. Seed treatment: Before sowing, treat the seeds with water at 60-100°C for 30 seconds; then soak them in warm water for 1 day and night, and the germination rate can reach 50%. If treated with concentrated sulfuric acid, remove the seeds immediately and rinse them in clean water once the seed coat turns black, then soak them in warm water, and sow when the seeds swell; the germination rate can reach more than 90%.
2. Planting methods: ① Spring sowing or summer sowing is possible. The sowing rate is about 300-500 grams per mu, the sowing depth is 3-4 cm, the row spacing is 50-60 cm, and the seedling stand per mu should reach 7,000-10,000 plants. ② Seedling raising and transplanting. Drilling or broadcast sowing in small beds may be used, increasing the density, and once vigorous one-year-old seedlings are grown, they can be transplanted; either spring planting or autumn planting is fine. When planting, a plow can be used to open furrows, with a row spacing of 60 cm and a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, planting about 7,000 plants per mu. The planting depth should preferably be such that the root crown is level with the ground surface, and water after planting. Seedlings generally emerge 5-7 days after sowing, so there should be good soil moisture before sowing, and no irrigation is needed after sowing to avoid crusting. ③ Planting root rhizomes. From the freshly dug licorice rhizomes, select those with bud eyes and cut them into 15-20 cm lengths, open furrows with a walking plow, place the mother roots vertically or at an angle in the furrows, cover with 10 cm of soil; the planting time can be either spring or autumn, and water after planting.
3. Field management: Licorice management is mainly about preserving soil moisture. In the 1st year, ensure seedling growth; after 2 years, the root system is deeply rooted, and a certain degree of soil moisture is enough. Generally, snowmelt alone can ensure normal growth. Harvest in the 3rd year, taking care to retain the mother roots. After digging, level the ground well and irrigate thoroughly to promote new shoots.