• Plants growing in greenhousegreenhouse image by Paulo Ribeiro from Fotolia.com
  
  Who says you can't have beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables all year through? Greenhouses can be built in any size, in any location, by anyone. With a few greenhouse growing tips, a gardener of any skill level can learn how to grow all the plants, herbs and flowers they want in a well-maintained environment.
  
  

Building

• Greenhouse growing begins with greenhouse building, a process which can be affordable. Greenhouses are, generally, made with sheets of plastic and a metal frame. Kits are available through retail hardware stores, large nurseries and online e-tailers. Sturdy, heavy steel is a good choice if you want to build a strong greenhouse structure. Use 6mm plastic which resists UV (ultraviolet) breakdown so greenhouse panels last longer.
  
  Choose a flat, level area of your property to build the greenhouse. You want to make sure the greenhouse location receives sunlight through the year. Choose a site that's far away enough from trees so that shade won't fall on your greenhouse. When constructing the interior of the greenhouse, create plenty of shelves and storage space for plants and tools.
  
  

Ventilation

• All plants need air, so you want to keep your greenhouse well-ventilated to keep plants growing. Summer vegetables requires a great deal of moving air, so install exhaust fans and moving panels so the greenhouse can be opened. In winter, simply opening panels can provide enough ventilation for some plants. Avoid crowding plants, so air can circulate between and around them.
  
  Open the greenhouse during the day in times of pleasant weather. But if you leave your greenhouse open at night, plants could be damaged by frost.
  
  

Maintenance

• The entire interior of your greenhouse, walls and all, should be thoroughly washed twice a year (spring and fall). The cleaning will prevent mold and bacteria from growing inside your greenhouse, something which could be detrimental to the plants you actually want to grow. After removing or covering greenhouse plants, soap and water the walls with a garden hose.
  
  

Watering

• You will want to check the soil of your plants daily, watering them as needed. Most plants only need to be watered if the soil is dry.