Ferns, horsetails and lycopods (clubmosses, etc.) all reproduce by spore, which are single-celled bodies that form a dust in large quantities. These are shed from special structures in the case of horsetails, lycopods and some ferns, or from "spore-dots" (sori) on the backs of the fronds of most ferns. These spore do not grow into plants resembling the parent, but instead grow into organisms called prothallia (single: prothallium) or gametophytes. Those of lycopods and some ferns are tubular and grow underground, but those of most ferns grow on the soil surface, and look like small chunks of liverwort. These gametophytes, then, have the sexual organs that create the new plant.
Horsetails, lycopods, and certain ferns (Osmunda, Botrychium, Ophioglossum) have green spore that must be planted immediately. When these are shipped, they are shipped on a moist medium. You may request priority shipping for these for an extra $5 s/h.
Prepare a moist medium in a closable or coverable container. Prepare the medium by sterilizing it. Plain potting soil works well if you sift it first. Sterilize it in the microwave by cooking on high for several minutes (depending on soil quantity) or by baking in the oven at 250 degrees for half an hour or more. Rehydrate after sterilization with sterile water. Transparent plastic shoeboxes work well as containers, but almost anything may be used as long as it has a transparent top for light. No more than an inch of soil or other substrate is required. When the moist medium is placed into the container, then sow the spore over the surface. Cover and put away, but check it about once a week to make sure that it does not dry out. Water as needed. When gametophytes sprout and grow large, they must have surface water for fertilization. However, recondensation of the water in the container is usually sufficient. Make sure that the containers get light after the first two weeks or so. When the fern plants sprout, carefully transplant them and keep them moist and humid (most species) until they are large enough to harden off. Plants with subterranean gametophytes may take years to create new plants, but plants with surface (green) gametophytes usually do so within a few months.