Anyone tried or is growing liquorice?

[mrbadexample]

MBE grew a licorice plant in his old garden, ask him.

Liquorice. It's got a Q in it because it's from Yorkshire, not America.

I still have it because it's my Yorkshire liquorice in my Yorkshire flowerpot.



It's just starting to poke its head through:



As with everything else I have in a pot, it's not entirely happy I don't think. I need to let it out somewhere - I have promised it a spot in the new garden but I'm not sure where yet. I'm not sure I've got the right soil for it either.

Alys says this.

I've never tried to harvest the root, but it'll be interesting to see what's in there when I set it free.

[mrbadexample]

This is the only photo I can find of it actually doing anything, but I don't recall ever seeing flowers.

[Nicos]

Thanks for that....interesting
Might think about it again ( the other Grapes did a good job of putting me orf!)

[Jay-ell]

I do have seeds for liquorice but haven't sown them - I'm not sure if it's the having to dig up 9 foot long roots that's putting me off or all the faf involved in turning them into Spanish juice and then turning that into liquorice as we know it.

One think that confuses me if that they say the liquorice is one of the sweetest things available and then they add sugar to the recipe - it it so sweet that you adding sugar dilutes the sweetness.

That would be like having a drink so strong you have to dilute it with brandy.

Hang on there is a drink like that.

I drink it (occasionally)

It tastes of liquorice.

[mrbadexample]

Thanks for that....interesting
Might think about it again ( the other Grapes did a good job of putting me orf!)

C'mon now Nicos, I thought you had more sense than to listen to anyone on here!

[burnie]

Well I'm not a bad gardener and I reckon my soil would be perfect, but full sun, in Scotland, still if it grows in Yorkshire it will probably grow anywhere lol.

[mrbadexample]

Well I'm not a bad gardener and I reckon my soil would be perfect, but full sun, in Scotland, still if it grows in Yorkshire it will probably grow anywhere lol.

https://www.brandycarrnurseries.co.u...ory/liquorice/

[Derbydal]

I bought some liquorice wood today (revisiting my youth) iv'e got sore gums from chewing on it ,not as I remembered it LOL. atb Dal

[Jay-ell]

A bit of info
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WgHUtpPJak

[mothhawk]

Liquorice. It's got a Q in it because it's from Yorkshire, not America.

Yes, I know that really MBE, but as I get up at 3.45am, 8.15pm is actually way past my bedtime and I was too sleepy to care.

[mothhawk]

I once saw some old film footage of liquorice root being harvested, and the men digging it up were standing in trenches waist deep. I don't think your pot's quite deep enough MBE

[mrbadexample]

I once saw some old film footage of liquorice root being harvested, and the men digging it up were standing in trenches waist deep. I don't think your pot's quite deep enough MBE

Roots up to 9' deep apparently. I'm not sure my garden's deep enough, what with all the sewers, electricity cables and storage tanks.

[Jay-ell]

Ok, I've had some thoughts on this now.

Liquorice, like comfrey, is a perennial with a deep running root. This might mean that it could act as a nutrient pump bringing up nutrients from deeper than the annuals roots can reach.

Unlike comfrey it's a legume, so it might also lock in atmospheric nitrogen.

I believe that it is herbaceous so all these nutrients would be made available at the end of the year when it dies back - however as it can grow to 6 foot tall a bit of pruning throughout the season could increase the biomass and nutrients harvested. This could potentially cause a bit of root die back which would release nitrogen and other nutrients back into the soil.

Liquorice is a spreader - it spreads by sending out runners horizontally from its roots - it might be possible that every couple of years in the autumn when it's died back to dig only a little way and harvest these runner roots for the liquorice.