Soil & potting mix
Best soil for 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.
Preferred mix: Deep, fertile, sandy loam
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.
Why liquorice needs this mix
Liquorice is a hungry, thirsty leafy herb — it wants a rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining loam, well fed and never baked dry.
- Liquorice grows fast and puts on a lot of soft leaf, so it draws heavily on both nutrients and water — a lean mix simply cannot keep up.
- Plenty of organic matter holds moisture evenly, which prevents the stress problems (bolting, bitterness, blossom-end rot) that come from a drying-then-flooding cycle.
- It still needs structure: rich does not mean airless, so grit, perlite or leaf mould keeps roots oxygenated.
For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.
What goes wrong with the wrong mix
The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons liquorice struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:
- A poor, thin or sandy mix starves liquorice — growth stalls, leaves pale, and the plant bolts to seed early.
- A heavy, compacted, badly drained soil rots the roots and brings fungal problems despite all the feeding.
- Letting a rich mix dry to dust then drowning it causes the classic moisture-stress disorders this crop is prone to.
Under-feeding and inconsistent moisture. Liquorice needs genuinely rich soil plus steady watering — most disappointing crops come down to one or both being short.
pH — does it matter for liquorice?
Liquorice does best around pH 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). It is worth a cheap soil test for an outdoor bed; very acidic soil benefits from a little lime well before planting.
If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.
DIY mix vs a bagged one
For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for liquorice with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
Drainage and the pot
Rich but free-draining is the target: raised beds and large containers both deliver it. Mulch heavily to even out moisture and roughly halve how often you water.
Liquorice is usually grown for a single season, so "repotting" means starting fresh each year — never reuse exhausted, disease-prone compost for the same crop family. When the time comes, our repotting guide for liquorice covers the timing and technique step by step.
Liquorice soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for liquorice?
3 parts rich peat-free compost : 1 part well-rotted garden compost or manure : 1 part perlite or grit (containers) / leaf mould (beds). Liquorice grows fast and puts on a lot of soft leaf, so it draws heavily on both nutrients and water — a lean mix simply cannot keep up.
Can I use normal potting soil for liquorice?
A poor, thin or sandy mix starves liquorice — growth stalls, leaves pale, and the plant bolts to seed early. For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for liquorice with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
Does liquorice need a special pH?
Liquorice does best around pH 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). It is worth a cheap soil test for an outdoor bed; very acidic soil benefits from a little lime well before planting.
Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for liquorice?
For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for liquorice with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
How often should I refresh the soil for liquorice?
Liquorice is usually grown for a single season, so "repotting" means starting fresh each year — never reuse exhausted, disease-prone compost for the same crop family. Rich but free-draining is the target: raised beds and large containers both deliver it. Mulch heavily to even out moisture and roughly halve how often you water.
Keep reading
- Liquorice care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water liquorice — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting liquorice — when and how to refresh the mix
- Soil pH guide — test it and adjust it safely
- Should I water my plant? The simple check first
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry diagnosis
- Underwatered plant — signs and how to rehydrate it
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- All 8452 soil and potting-mix guides in the Growli library