Bubba,
Not sure what you are wanting to do. Let me explain what I think you are wanting to do and see if I am correct. I assume that this half barrel will be set in the ground so that the top edge of the barrel is the just above the water level in the pond. The piping from the stand pipe will travel underground and into the side of the pond or skimmer. So that the half barrel will fill with water to the same level as the water level in the pond. Or it could be setup so the the half barrel is above the pond water level and water is pumped into the barrel until it fills the barrel high enough to over flow the standpipe and then flow back to the pond. Is this the idea?
Mike

I'm thinking of the half-barrel, sunk into the ground but above the water level of the pond. Gravity flow back to the pond.
Maybe a standpipe isn't the best option, maybe a bottom drain and put the pump on a timer so that it fills the half-barrel and then drains?
I can't have standing water in vegetable roots, duh...

Bubba,
I am not sure why you wouldn't want the plants with their roots in water. A lot of plants will do wonderfully this way. Trying to put a pump on a timer to keep the barrel half full is a nightmare waiting to happen. I would think about pumping the water into the bottom and then let it flow back to the pond with the standpipe. If you stick with the barrel idea make sure it is a plastic barrel as a metal barrel won't last long.
Mike

Hey, Bubba. Have you read anything about veggie filters or hydroponics? I don't really like the idea of mixing untreated fish waste and food crops but some people do it.
You may be over thinking the problem as Mike suggests but isn't it fun to do when its too cold to actually do the project? There is a space for a search at the top of the header. You should get several hits as we discussed this not too long ago. Sandy :-)

Mike,
I like the idea of pumping water into the bottom of the barrel.
Sandy,
I'm almost certainly over thinking it! Sitting here in my shop, I have a pump still in the box that's looking for a project. I have a barrel.
I've been watching some you-tube stuff about "home" aquaponics systems.
Bubba

I had the idea before to build a drip irrigation system for a garden that was fed from the pond - the idea that all the juicy nutrients in the pond would be much appreciated by the plants in the garden. So far it hasn't materialized (the irrigation or the garden), but my idea consisted of adding a branch to the pond's plumbing that would go to a sprinkler valve - these are not that expensive and are already designed to be activated by a timer. My thought was to place an easily-serviced filter after the valve (so that the drip emitters wouldn't get clogged by particulates), and then out to the drip system, but I think in your case you could go straight to the barrel from the sprinker valve.

- Mike

Mike,
I know that drip systems do use a filter even if you water is coming from the city. You might have to change/check it more often with pond water.
A few years ago I used a small pump and 3/4" tubing to water potted plants on the deck. It worked well but was time consuming and I had my "experimental" stuff laying around all the time.
Bubba

Drip systems seem to pay off best when you have rigid spacing for the emitters and drip lines. I used to use them for the watering tasks in a 32 foot greenhouse. Twenty five feet was in shelving with three shelves. I didn't have too much problem with particulate matter but the lime and other mineral deposits were a constant problem and required regular cleaning. Filters did nothing for that problem. 3/4 inch tubing is a bit large even for a 20 x 50 foot garden layout. That should work well with emitters and drip ends. You seem to be too anxious to get the water out there. Normally the water output is fairly slow with long time flow with 1/4 inch tubing from the 1/2 inch supply tubing and emitters that put out a max of 1 gallon of water an hour. Trays take less. Restrictors are available if you are covering long distances with multiple lines off of a single supply tube with low water pressure. I preferred the 1/2 gallon per hour emitters. The soil liked the slow soak much better even if it did take longer.

I also used a system for a terraced garden that ran downhill. The flow was so irregular I wound up attaching standard garden hoses to valves that allowed me to turn the flow to each terrace off and on. The tubing also connected to the valve with a step down connector and a "Y".

In the greenhouse I set up a timer to turn the system on and off early in the morning before I was awake. That worked out well since even though it took only a minute to turn the system on and off, it could make me almost late to work if I was running short of time.

I understand the 'stuff' laying around. I love to tinker and DH doesn't understand at all. LOL No sooner than I had it perfectly set up I had another idea to make it even better.