If I bought a home composter what could I use the compost for?

[UndomesticHousewife]

I know it sounds like such a stupid question, but I'm not a gardener at all and don't know anything about gardens.
But I do want to be a bit more 'gardeny' and I really need to reduce my black bin rubbish as now the binmen won't empty it if the lid's not shut.

So if I was to get a home composter and make compost, what do I do with the compost? Can I use it for soil for hanging baskets and pots? Because that's as far as my gardening goes!

We don't have flower beds or anything like that in the garden.

Thanks!

You can use compost for any type of plants, including hanging baskets, but you mix it with soil as a form of fertiliser, rather than using it as soil itself.
Most gardeners mix compost with the soil in their flower and veg beds once or twice a year to give the plants extra nutrients.

The secret is to leave it as long as possible (not less than 6 months). If you get the plastic 'dalek' type just keep putting the waste in at the top then in six months or so start to take compost out of the hatch at the bottom. You can compost pretty much anything but the general advice is to avoid cooked food as this attracts vermin. Chop up what you put into the compost bin so that it will rot down quicker.

You could always ask your neighbours if they'd like it, they might be very glad to take it off your hands if they're keen gardeners.