New Herb Garden: When Are Herbs Ready to Use?

I have recently planted sage, tarragon, chives, basil, oregano and rosemary. I am interested in knowing how will I know when they are ready for use, and if there is a web site that can help me learn to dry the herbs. In recipes do you use more fresh herbs than dry?

The herbs are ready to use when they have several stems or are over 10 cm (4 inches) tall. You can then harvest portions of stems that are taller than the 10 cm.
To dry the harvest, consult our web-site at www.richters.com under the "Q&A" heading in the "News & Info" section of the site. Click on "Search Question & Answers" and type in "Drying Herbs", to find the topics that sound as if they would answer your question.
As a very general guideline, you use more of fresh herbs than of dried in cooking, about twice as much dried is called for in a recipe.