Steve, I wouldn't have taken the chance of going from water to perlite or soil since pothos and philodendrons can live indefinitely in water, plus it's the safest option for rooting. But I'm glad it's worked out okay and you're seeing new growth in soil mix, a very good sign it's going to be fine. I'd like to suggest that as soon as you have some growth of 6 inches or so, take a cutting. I would keep taking and rooting cuttings until you have at least 3 to 4 plants in separate pots. These backup plants will be good insurance against calamities such as you've had with your old plant which has such sentimental value. Some might think this is over-kill, but I've learned this strategy the hard way. Besides, a plant in several different rooms will be a constant reminder of good times and good memories. Keep us advised how it goes. Russ

I was thinking of adding in a totem but a friend told me it'll just creep back up to stand on its own. Not a bad idea though. I'll look around. Thank you both for the perlite advice. I'll see what I can do that's affordable. And again, apologies for the dumb question. The layering was questionable even to me but I had to make sure since when I looked for images of perlite, I saw people add a layer of it on the surface of their pots.

I hate to be a contrarian, but have you thought about trimming off the roots a bit and transferring them to some potting soil? You would have a much healthier and probably a faster growing plant. I realize some love the idea of growing a plant in water, but unless you are using a full-on hydro setup (oxygenator, nutrient solutions, etc.), I don't feel as though it is best for the plant. I mean, totally fine for rooting cuttings--no issue there. I tried a pothos in water over a long period of time, and what I ended up with was moldy looking roots, despite frequent water changes, slow growth, and gradual decline. I trimmed and put them in soil, and the plant is huge now. Just a suggestion.

I agree that the roots growing through the drain holes of houseplants can simply be snipped off, and the yellow leaves are likely the result of the plant becoming too dry. Drought stress first affects (or can first be measures) in roots, and the stress begins well before any wilting occurs, so it's best to water a day or two before you think you'll be unable to detect any moisture at all in the grow medium. While the likely cause of the chlorotic foliage appears to be under-watering, it could be a nutritional problem. If you haven't been fertilizing regularly, it increases the probability of the yellowing leaves being caused by low fertility, and especially low levels of nitrogen. What have you been doing insofar as supplemental nutrition goes. If nothing, do you want to delve into that topic with help figuring out a program that takes into account what you're using for a grow medium and your watering habits - some knowledge of both being essential to figuring out the best plan that offers you the most control. You can get a good handle on what intervals (between waterings) are appropriate by using a "tell". See more on that below: Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al