I have purchased a new 10x12 Harbor Frieght greenhouse. I have watched many videos about basic structure repair to beef it up. I have figured out what I will do when spring comes. I am looking for any tips on the frame and base to make it secure. Any heating tips and etc. is appreciated.

I bought a 1700 sq ft from Stuppy. It is a very good setup and very strong. We don't have heavy snow loads, maybe 4 lbs per sq ft max. But that's still 1000s of pounds. Two feet of snow is about what 16 lbs per sq ft, ~16,000 lbs on your size. So it better be strong or shed really well. Mine has 12,000 lbs concrete on each side, ~5 yds/side. That's in case the wind hits 80 mph which is possible here. The plans called for piers 16 inch by 60 inch deep for each column. I couldn't dig a hole anywhere near that size so dug a trench and set the columns in a foundation about 15 inches by 20 inches deep with plenty of rebar. And I ordered extra strong concrete and poured it thick and dry for extra strength. It's a better foundation than many houses around here. On a windy day I don't regret a penny spent there. Any structure is only as good as it's foundation. Even built like mine the foundation was only about 5% of total cost, $1200 in 2005. I'd buy from someone like Stuppy that will engineer a structure to meet your climatic and growing requirements. That will get you a 50 year structure, maybe longer. Cheaper by the year than cutting corners. The northern starter package with 30 lb snow load rating would be a starting point. I think that's 30 lbs per sq ft. Here is a link that might be useful: northern starter package

Mark: The water that goes into the floor drain is connected to a sump pit under the sink that also drains into it and is pumped out with a standard basement sump pump. The sump pit connects to a grey water line about 100 ft. long, the same way any basement sump is drained, at least here in an area that just 200 years ago was a vast tallgrass (wetlands) prarie over a lot of peat and saturated clay. So the only perf pipe is in the long grey water drain line. All of the pipe inside the GH and leading out, is solid. If that seems excessive for ordinary GH use, please understand that my GH is actually a fish room and when I water change, I may drain as much as 300 gal. of water within a few hours, and as we calculated that I could release about 200 gal. an hour before the gray water line became overloaded, I rotate changes on the big tanks, to make sure it doesn't. But with just plants and reasonably permeable soil, all you might need is a dry well. If so, it's just a deep hole to below your frost line, some large plastic pipe for a liner, large stone to fill and a screen under a removable grate at the top, to prevent solids from clogging the well. I am always amazed that anyone would construct before they know what is UNDER what will be their foundation, but then, we are no longer an agrigulcural society, so unless they are farmers, most people don't know that dirt isn't just dirt, and that they have a Soil & Water Conservation District to call on, but that is where you will find the soil maps for your property, along with soil experts, courtesy of the feds. Once you know the permeability and structure of your soils, calculating the perk rate is easy, and you can plan your drainage needs from there.

I can use them for other white oaks, Ken. I'm going to take a new path to see how they will sell on Craigslist and Ebay and most-importantly, if they will stay alive thru these insanely hot summers we've been having. I can't keep my conifer grafts alive. It's pointless. Ireena, in the ground is the best way. Plant (3) per space and select the strongest seedling the following year. Be sure to cage where your trees are so you know where and to keep rabbits and deer from eating them. (3) per hole also may keep squirrels and other animals from removing all per spot. Ken, I also planted many other oak species, along with: hickory, magnolia, sorbus, pecan, etc- and I am going to plant several of everything on the property that adjoins mine. And, I will plant them all around the valleys here too. Dax