Why Do Some Parts of My Lawn Grow Faster Than Others?

How to Identify and Treat the Issues

This is a common question I get asked—especially in the Waikato, where the grass grows like mad in spring. It wouldn’t be so bad if your entire lawn grew at the same speed, but that’s rarely the case.

A lot of customers say something like:
"My backyard grows faster than my front yard. Why is that?"

In this post, I’ll break down the main reasons why different parts of your lawn grow at different speeds and what you can do about it.

1. It Could Be a Weed Growing Faster Than the Lawn.

During spring, one of the biggest culprits is daisies. Many customers ask me to cut their lawn shorter to fix the problem, but this does more harm than good.

Daisies and other fast-growing weeds will continue to grow faster than the grass, sometimes flowering again within 48 hours. Cutting your lawn shorter won’t solve the issue—it may even weaken the grass and make things worse.

💡 Solution: Identify and treat the weed properly.
You can use this guide from Kiwicare to find and treat the specific weed affecting your lawn:
🔗 Kiwicare: Top 20 Lawn Weeds

2. Different Types of Grass in Your Lawn.

One of the most common reasons for uneven growth is mixed grass types.

If you have a fine turf lawn, but some coarse grasses have made their way in, they will grow much faster than the finer grass, requiring more frequent mowing.

Another common reason is that part of the lawn was re-sown at some point with a different type of grass. This can cause certain areas to grow at a different rate than the rest.

💡 Solution:
✔ If coarse grasses are invading your lawn, check out this guide from Kiwicare on how to remove them:
🔗 Kiwicare: Coarse Grass in Lawns

✔ If your lawn was re-sown with a different grass type, there’s not much you can do—except dig up and re-sow the entire lawn if you want a consistent look.

3. Uneven Fertiliser Application.

Have you fertilised your lawn recently?

If the problem appeared after fertilising, you might have spread the fertiliser unevenly. This can cause patchy, inconsistent growth—with some areas growing faster and looking greener than others.

💡 Solution:
✔ Use a spreader when applying pellet fertiliser to ensure even coverage.
✔ Try liquid fertiliser for more even distribution.

Over time, the uneven growth will balance out as the fertiliser gets absorbed.

4. Mowing Technique and Equipment Issues.

If some areas of your lawn are consistently shorter, it could be due to how you mow.

🔄 Try Changing Your Mowing Direction

If you always mow in the same direction, you may create ruts in the lawn—causing some areas to be cut shorter than others. This can lead to uneven growth over time.

💡 Solution: Change the direction each time you mow. Try alternating between:
✔ North-South.
✔ East-West.
✔ Diagonal cuts.

🛠 Check Your Mower's Front Axle for Wear.

If the uneven cut is consistent, your lawnmower’s front axle could have worn plastic bushes, causing play in the wheels. This can result in an uneven mow height.

💡 Solution: Take your mower to a local mower shop to get the axle checked and repaired.

5. Your Lawn May Need Aeration.

If some areas of your lawn grow much slower than others, soil compaction could be the issue.

Compacted soil becomes hard and dense, preventing water, air, and nutrients from reaching the grass roots. As a result, the grass struggles to grow.

What Causes Soil Compaction?

🚶 High traffic areas (foot traffic, kids playing, pets).
🚗 Cars or heavy equipment driving over the lawn.
🏊 A freestanding swimming pool sitting in one spot for months.
🌱 Clay-heavy or poor-quality soil

How to Fix It.

💡 Solution 1: Use a Lawn Aerator
You can buy an aerator tool from a hardware store to loosen the soil and improve drainage.
🔗 Bunnings: Saxon Lawn Aerator Roller

💡 Solution 2: Use a Garden Fork (Budget-Friendly Option).
If you don’t want to buy an aerator, use a garden fork:
✔ Push the fork into the compacted soil as deep as possible.
✔ Move the fork back and forth to create air channels.
✔ Repeat in multiple directions over the affected area.

This method allows air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots—helping the grass recover.

Final Thoughts.

These are the main reasons why some areas of your lawn grow faster than others, but there could be other factors at play as well.

If you want more in-depth information, I’ve written a detailed guide on this topic:
🔗 Why Your Lawn is Growing at Different Rates – Full Guide

And if you live in Hamilton and need professional lawn mowing, I’m just a phone call away!