How about building low pergola for tomatoes? Like a web, made of stakes, wire or ropes, horizontal and off the ground maybe 1'? Would tomatoes then grow straight upwards through the web, and later creep on this web? I might give a try next year, since I realy need growing solution that tolerates my absence for a week or two.
Keeping ground mulched or grassed and leaving tomatos without any support might be good
enough, I will try this also, but keeping them off the ground, yet spreading horizontaly and shading it's own
roots might be even better, if it will work.