Harvesting Methods and Technical Key Points for Licorice

For licorice grown from seedlings and transplanted, it is best to harvest at 2-3 years, with autumn harvesting giving the best quality. Before harvesting, the stems and leaves can first be cut off for use as livestock feed. Then harvest with a subsoiler or a special licorice harvesting plow, trying as much as possible to prevent damage to the root bark and premature root breakage. Shake the soil off the dug roots; they must not be washed with water. While still fresh, remove the remaining stems and fibrous roots, cut off the root heads, and grade them according to root thickness; the root strips must not be shorter than 20 cm. After trimming and cutting into sections, dry the licorice in the sun by grade. When sun-drying licorice, pay attention to protecting it from rain, and the drying yard must be free of contamination. When the licorice is half-dried, tie it into small bundles about 10 cm in diameter and continue sun-drying until completely dry. Generally, 1-year-old irrigated licorice yields 250-300 kg of dried product per mu; 2-year-old licorice can reach 400-550 kg.