how dry before water

i have been over watering from day 1 just discovered this site yesterday and realized that and i did not water them this morning to let the soil dry out i have all my plants outside right now in the sun so how much should i let the soil dry out b4 i water them again

should i mist the leaves throughout the day

more info my soil is just basic potting soil with roughly 20% sand and a fairly large amount of horse manure also has alot of those little styro beads in it to airate it.......i should have put rocks in the bottom for drainage but did not read that until after and i really dont know if my plants can handle being taken out of the pots again althought they are in little peat pods with the mesh still there (will that have any effect?)

You should let it dry out very well. The best method is to feel how heavy the pots are when the soil is dried out vs. after a watering. Compared to immediately after a watering, the pots should be substantially lighter before you water again. Make those roots get strong by having to search for water.