I usually start them in jiffy7's. It's fun to see the roots seach for
water until I put them into a pot. They're montrous almost violent
almost like a plant in a horror movie taking over the house.

but you are right about it being difficult to germinate. I've had quit
a few germinate a year late in old Jiffy's when I use them for
different seed. No other plant of course have a chance of surviving in
a jiffy 7 with a Castor bean seedling.