new member seeks advice on hops harvesting

Been brewing for a few years and just started growing hops. I have Cascade, Williamette and Goldings. This is my first harvest and I'm trying to do everything right. From everything I read it looks like they needed to be harvested. The Cascades grew incredibly fast and have developed a bumper crop and the Goldings were o.k. The Williamete haven't developed any cones yet. I am using a dehydrator to dry them out and am looking for any experienced advice on the following concerns: When to harvest, why do they even need to be dried and how to tell when they are at the optimal dryness. Also, should they be vaccum sealed and frozen and would it be advantageous to form plugs out of them.
Any help would be appreciated

Plugs aren't needed. Optimal dryness to me is when they feel papery. You should be able to drop them on the floor from a few feet up and they'll break apart. I vacuum seal mine and put them in the freezer to keep them fresh longer.

Hops don't NEED to be dried out. I've done wet hop ales before with good success. But...if you don't plan on using them immediately, drying them is a good idea.