What Can I Use to Fill the Patio Cracks?

[roxmysox]

I rent an older condo and the patio is a mess! It's paved with these large 2' square slabs and I gotta wonder if it ever looked nice!
Replacing the pavement is not an option since it is a rental. My question is what can I use to fill the space between the ugly gray slabs. Most of them are around 2" apart so it's a constant battle to keep out weeds. But mostly it's just so gapy. I can't even hose it down without causing a muddy mess.

I would like to have some patio furniture, but worry about the legs getting down in the cracks.
Is there something that I could grow that wont need to be trimed and is very sturdy and dense like moss?
Or maybe some kind of material that sets up hard but isn't cement....I don't know, just thinking here.

I'm in a suburb near the Detroit area.

Roxy

[opabinia51]

Well, I would talk to your landlord about possibly covering the area with soil. If you wanted to grow a ground cover like creeping thyme (smells great too!), Kannickanic (not really good to try to walk on), denseley planted clover is actually really nice and you get the flowers which are edible and you can make a tea from them and they attract beneficial insects, and will feed the soil with Nitrogen.

Plant both white and crimson clover for the effect. Clover is just the common name these are two separate genuses. Anyway, that's enough on clover.

Ummm, what else would work in there? Hmmmm, something that has a shallow root......well of course you could use grass but, grass is so dull. Don't just cover the area with dirt if you plan on using grass.

Give this thread a read:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1782


And first lay down a layer of non cedar containing sawdust then cover that with a green like fish compost, manure and there are some more in the above thread.

Then cover with soil and sow with grass seed. Don't forget to water. Some people put sand in with the mixture to increase the porosity of the soil.

You can also plant beds over the area and have a myriad of flowers, perennials and even vegetables.

But, talk to your landlord first.

Anybody else have any other ideas?

[roxmysox]

My Landlord will not care what I do or help with anything either. We also need windows and doors desperately but he is in no hurry.

I will try to get a picture up so y'all can see what needs to be done.

Thanks

[bullthistle]

Some landlords are not worth much. Grout out 3 inches of soil and go to HD and get a bag a Sakrete and pour in between the cracks, don't get any on the stones and wait for it to rain.

[roxmysox]

Thanks Bullthistle This must be what I was thinking of.

[Garden Spider]

If the patio is in full sun, plant Creeping Thyme between the cracks. Purple or pink flowers (depending on the cultivar), evergreen, hardy, smells good.

In shade, plant Corsican Mint. Cute, evergreen, smells wonderful.

[roxmysox]

Wow, thanks guys! I'm not sure what route I will go yet, may try pulling up the pavers, smoothing/leveling the ground then replacing the pavers.
Or I may just try shifting the pavers closer to each other....eh probably not.
I don't know...something.

But heres the fun part..........are you ready?..........I need to gut the ground where the biggest part of the jungle once was! So I'll be posting all kinds of questions, from what to do with the junk I want to be rid of to what to plant. But that's another thread

[pete28]

IS cement a no go? that would probably be the easiest fix. just mix up a bach kind of loose and trowel it over the entire thing like a skim coat that way it will fill the cracks and look a bit better.