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Repotting guide

When & how to repot Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Also called Liquorice, Licorice, Sweet Root, Common Liquorice.

More about liquorice

About Liquorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra · also called Liquorice, Licorice · herb

Liquorice is a deep-rooted perennial legume native to the Mediterranean and southwestern Asia, cultivated for its thick, sweet taproot which contains glycyrrhizin — up to 50 times sweeter than sucrose. It requires a long, warm growing season, deep well-drained soil, and full sun. Roots are typically harvested after 3–4 years for culinary and medicinal use.

Mature size: 1–1.5 m tall, 60–100 cm spread (stolons can extend 1 m+ from plant)

Watch for — Invasive spreading via stolons: Liquorice spreads aggressively via underground stolons and can become weedy. Install root barriers 40–50 cm deep around the planting area, or grow in large, deep containers to contain spread. Remove unwanted shoots promptly before they establish.

How to tell liquorice needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For liquorice, watch for these signs:

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot liquorice

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Liquoriceis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Clump-forming, spreading perennial with pinnate leaves on arching stems. Spreads by runners (stolons) and can colonise a wide area. Produces small pale-blue to violet pea-like flowers in summer but is rarely a prolific bloomer in cool climates..

What size pot to step liquorice up to

Pot liquorice on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot liquorice

Pot liquorice on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting liquorice

  1. Pot on before it is root-bound. Check liquorice regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
  2. Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
  3. Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
  4. Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh deep, fertile, sandy loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
  5. Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water liquorice in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for liquorice

Liquorice wants deep, fertile, sandy loam. Requires deep, well-drained, fertile sandy loam to allow unrestricted taproot development (roots can reach 1 m+). Soil pH 6.0–8.0; tolerates slight alkalinity. Heavy clay soils produce stunted, forked, lower-quality roots. Dig deeply and incorporate organic matter before planting. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting liquorice — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot liquorice?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for liquorice. Liquorice is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into deep, fertile, sandy loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does liquorice need?

Pot liquorice on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check. Use our pot size calculator to size it from the plant's current pot and root spread.

When is the best time of year to repot liquorice?

Pot liquorice on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Can you put liquorice straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing liquorice should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise liquorice after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting liquorice. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.

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