User blog:Ukanlos Subspecies/Got any useful tips on how to play the Tree?

Hey guys! I've used Maokai lots of times already, but most of the time I totally SUCK when I use him. REALLY REALLY REALLY, Oh did I say REALLY? Useless at playing him. I mean, I DO know how to play him.... But some other summoners might play him different.

I start jungling at Wraiths where I toss 2 or 3 saplings then finish them of easily while my teammates prepare to pull the blue buff, then I continue on with my normal jungling route blah blah blah...

It's the ganking I'm having trouble at. Maokai is really mana hungry early game (not as hungry as Anivia though). I gank like this:

---> --->

Then someone usually picks up a kill, or very rarely, I get the kill or the enemy escapes with about 150-300 hp. I mean, really? with three abilities used simultaneously, shouldn't that ensure a kill? (I know it WON'T get a kill always)

I don't really play Maokai well, to put it simply. That's why I'm posting this to you guys. Got any tips? Strategies? Starting Items? Lane ganks? Anything you want to share with me about how to play Maokai, be happy to comment down below. I have nearly tried every reliable source I could find that gave any tips on how to play him, (e.g MOBAFIRE, LoL counter, LoL wiki itself, other players, etc.) but I still kind of suck playing him. The thing is, I'm never satisfied by my end of game score, usually getting about 1-4-12 or 2-7-20. I really wanna know how to play him. I think he's a pretty decent champion.

PLEASE HELP ME, AND THANKS TOO =DDD