When planting string beans, do I have to use poles?

https://www.growveg.com/guides/supports-for-climbing-beans-and-peas/

The string beans need to grow upwards, they will grow over any other plat that’s tall trying to reach sun light. Give them a pole to grow on, and a regular bed.

Some beans can climb string or wire. Years ago we needed late evening shade and I ran strings from the house eave to a frame on the ground, then planted Scarlet Runner beans, for their beautiful red blossoms. They climbed quickly, and we had shade, blossoms and later nice beans.

You can make a trellis out of twine. Very simple construction. String Beans are going to run with or without you so make it as simple on yourself. I tied twine to S-hooks on my gutter to tie up my tomatoes that grew to 15 feet. The tomatoes were in a pot. I attached the twine to the pots and simply tied my tomatoes. LIke I said, Simple!

Hello. You only need poles if it is a bean pole type. There are also bush beans. Either way you plant them should be fine.

Check the variety that you have. There are bush beans and pole bean varieties. The pole beans are the easiest to harvest and take up less space in a garden bed as they grow vertically up the pole. Bush beans are traditionally grown in rows in the bed, and you harvest by either bending or squatting. Rather than just a "pole" we always made a three legged (tepee type) frame as it made it much easier to pick the beans. Both types are prolific and you will love the homegrown beans.

If you are talking about pole beans, not bush beans, I would put up a couple of steel tall poles the length of the area you will have plants. Most garden centers will have netting that you can put up between the poles and it can grow up that, you just train the vines to go up it. You can also use chicken wire or a second one of the netting for the bottom part if it isn't tall enough. The plants get really long runners and it is best to keep them growing up, as they will connect to anything it touches, like other plants and run up them. If you leave them on the ground, the beans make good food for critters and you may not end of with much of a crop. Poles alone will not be enough to hold the long vines very well.

You can purchase bush beans. they don't climb. They produce the same type of beans as pole beans.