Few druid questions

[Rasah]

1) Results may vary, but I didn't start kiting until I got Creeping Crud (level 24). Then you can live in South Karana until you are sick of the zone.
2) You don't need a snare, but it is certainly helpful for recasts.
3) Druids do crap for melee damage. Don't waste the time and money on the screaming mace. Get a Darkwood Staff. (get someone to sell you a Lambent stone cheap, and turn in to Sol Ro temple for staff) It does magical damage, and isn't that much worse than the screaming mace.

This strategy worked well for me:
Cast your AC/HP buff
Cast damage shield
Pull blue con mob with nuke
Beat on mob.
Watch his health and your health. If you are losing health faster than you'd like, cast another nuke. Or 2.
After fight, cast tree form.
Sit and med.
Your mana and health will regen together.
If your health gets to max first, consider using one less nuke.
If your mana gets to max first, consider using one more nuke.

Benefit to this is you get to keep your Offense, Defense and 1HB maxed out at the early levels, and it kills as fast, if not faster than root rotting with Stinging Swarm and Flame Lick.