Key Technical Points for Field Management in Licorice Cultivation

Thinning and Final Thinning: In the year of direct sowing, thin the seedlings when they are about 6 cm tall, with a plant spacing of 10-15 cm; in the second year, maintain a plant spacing of 30 cm for final thinning.

Cultivation and Weeding: After licorice is planted, weeds must be removed frequently in the first year, and the soil should be loosened in a timely manner. Soil loosening should go from shallow to deep, and herbicides can also be used for weed control. By the second year, once the plants have grown larger, weeds can hardly grow, so cultivation and weeding may no longer be necessary.

Topdressing: In addition to applying base fertilizer at sowing or planting, during each year's growing period, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can be applied as topdressing in early spring, with 1500-2000 kg of plant ash or compost per mu and 30 kg of superphosphate, to promote root growth.

In late autumn, after the aboveground parts of licorice wither, 2000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu can be used to cover the ground, in order to increase ground temperature and soil fertility. Because licorice roots have root nodules and can fix nitrogen, nitrogen fertilizer generally does not need to be applied as topdressing.

Irrigation and Drainage: Whether licorice is propagated by direct sowing or by rhizomes, the soil must be kept moist before emergence. After emergence, because licorice has strong drought resistance, normal natural rainfall can generally meet its growth needs. However, during prolonged drought, it should be watered; the number of waterings should not be too many, but each watering should soak through, to help the root system grow downward. In the rainy season, attention should be paid to drainage.