I usually water every day, since I have a raised screen "tube" lined with weed cloth and packed with rich soil that my babies are planted in (has dried out quickly all summer). This has kept my growth at a maximum (10-12 ft plant in Northeast), but as the season dwindles and the cold starts creep in at night (61F last night!) I think that I should now let the roots dry out before the next watering, in order to prevent root rot.
That is one scary picture, bro. It haunted me in my dreams last night. Good luck keeping her clean and dry.