Oregano on the stem. Thyme either way - it’s tedious to take it off when fresh, but such a nice preparation once done and dried.
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Depending on your clime, yes. We dehydrate rosemary and oregano all the time. I just rinse under cool running water, pat dry, and set out on clean baking sheets in the sun or tie them into small bundles and hang them inside if the weather is too cool or humid for effective outdoor drying. When they’re fully dry, strip the leaves from the stems and store as you would any other dried herbs. Mrs. ricepad likes to have a small canister of rosemary salt handy, and we have a couple of pretty large rosemary bushes, so she’s always well supplied.
When you harvest your herbs, I recommend you steer clear of the ‘dog zone’.
zone 7a. september is the final humid month of the year, typically. it’s not desert-dry here like where you are, but it’s fine.
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You might use a small fan, a distance away, so you don’t blow the herbs away. Spread them out so there’s good circulation. Hanging bundles is an old classical method. In a more humid area, bundles may mold and a method where the herbs can be spread farther apart is better. A clean screen, where air can move all around works, too. I dry lots of herbs, never in the sun, which can increase the loss of volatiles and diminish the color.
If you’re not in a hurry, your home’s humidity will likely drop when you start heating it, making the drying process easier.
I have a dehydrator that’s pretty big, with steel mesh shelves. Sometimes, I’ll dry herbs without turning it on, just by spreading herbs on the mesh and leaving the access door off. When I do use the electronics, it’s set for a very low temperature, 85–95°F (29–35°C).
Usually, leaving leaves on the stems makes herbs easier to handle, especially if you want to turn, rotate, etc. for even drying. Some herbs seem easier to strip from the stems when dry.
The best way to store dried herbs is in an airtight jar, in a freezer. This method requires one to remove the jar(s) well before using them, so they warm up and don’t “sweat” when you open them. A refrigerator works well. Dark and cool storage is key. I’ve been using frozen oregano I dried back in 2004, and it tastes fresh.
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You have a jar from the freezer and you want to take it out and use the herbs say the following day or so. What do you do? Couldn’t quite understand that part
Since herbs are light and don’t have much thermal mass, you only need to take them out 1-2 hours before opening the jar to use them. Generally, if you wipe a jar dry and it doesn’t get wet, it’s ready. During very low humidity periods, moisture condensation from the air is less of an issue. You can always store a small amount at room temperature, (cool and dark) as long as they get used up before losing their color or flavor.
If you haven’t made it to Annie’s yet, you may have lost your chance.
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Thank you! I saw that!
Not the working conditions part. 
And now this!
"Dear Valued AeroGarden Customer,
We are saddened to announce the closing of AeroGarden effective January 1, 2025. This was a difficult decision, but one that became necessary due to a number of challenges with this business. First, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your loyalty and support. Second, we intend to wind down operations in a manner that will inspire you to enjoy indoor gardening through the holiday season and beyond.
What to expect …"
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I heard a rumor that some of Annie’s former employees are trying to put together a coop to continue running it. No idea whether that rumor has legs or is just wishful thinking, though. 
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Nice!
LOL! I laugh so I don’t cry. That’s the truth here too. It was 104 yesterday, humidity 8%. Today it was a cool 102, and the humidity’s up to 11%. I may need a little sweater if this keeps up
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My weather app had the nerve to say "tommorow will be 2 degrees colder…102!
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With frost quickly approaching, I started digging Sweet potatoes. The first dug were the varieties Hernandez (pink red skin) and O’Henry (yellow-white skin):
The Hernandez tubers are from one plant! Note the vole damage on the top tubers.
It looks like about 20-25% loss on these; it could’ve been worse! Here, we don’t sleep on the ground because of voles. All that will be found of you is a memory and a belt buckle (with gnaw marks)!
Yesterday, I dug Varieties Mahon (light pinkish skin) and an ornamental/edible with dark purple foliage- Treasure Island Manihi (orange-gold skin), with. a few stray O’Henry:
These had no vole damage, but I did damage a few while digging.
The Treasure Island Manihi yield was disappointing. The plant was huge, about 30 feet across, the largest vine out there; but it had the smallest yield per plant so far. I suspect it may be a type where the tubers “wander”, forming very far away from the mother plant. Some of these require a crazy amount of digging to find them. In a large container, like a half wine barrel placed where the vines can’t creep and root much, the tuber set is apt to be more concentrated and better. It was developed really for that. In field planting, it’s not worth growing again, though I may grow a couple in giant pots; the foliage is lovely! If I’m feeling energetic, I may re-dig and see if there are more hidden yards away; it’s like digging a small swimming pool.
There are 5-7 more Hernandez to dig, which is the heaviest producer here. My best guess is a total of around 200 pounds. Right now, the tubers are stacked in crates and are curing in the kitchen area, which takes about 10 days.
Since I likely won’t get around to digging the rest until Monday. I’ll go around the field plants and perform the “Vole Yard Stomp”, an attempt to scare off and collapse vole tunnels.
What’s a vole, you may ask:
This is the Pine Vole, which often tunnels deep underground.
They reproduce year-round here, and breed at an astonishing rate. I’ve seen chestnut trees fall over from voles gnawing the roots off. They breed to match the food supply. When they run out, they start eating each other!
Much of the garden damage blamed on Moles is misplaced; it’s usually voles using mole tunnels as highways after the mole leaves. Moles are insectivores, eating worms, grubs, etc. Voles are non-specific feeders, mostly plants. They can even eat toxic plants. And… there is never ever just one … … shudder.
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As I was scanning your pix without reading the text, I thought, “That is one HAIRY tuber!”
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Our Eastern Meadow Voles look like this.
I had less problems this year.
I had custom ordered a Screech Owl house, after a vole kept taking down my Eggplants and Peppers 4 years ago.
I couldn’t place the owl house high enough for owls. It’s become more of a vermin house on the side of a pine tree.
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I hereby humbly apologize to the moles for blaming my ravaged bean plants on them.
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You’ll note the larger eyes and longer tail on the Meadow Vole. I’ve managed to reduce their populations by removing cover, mowing and avoiding mulch as much as possible.
Pine Voles, on the other hand, seem to eat more and dig deeper, out of sight. Aside from groundhogs, they are the most feared garden pests. My friend in Davenport, CA claims voles keep gophers away; so he’s fond of them being around.
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I was pretty lucky with respect to the furry critters this year. It was the slugs, Japanese beetles, cabbage months, and bindweed that were my nemeses this year
