Hi bassetlvr, I suspect it's a soil quality issue. I also live in SW Florida (Cape Coral) and have had similar experiences to you in the 6 years I've been growing pineapples.

I currently have about 130 pineapple plants - 5 different cultivars - all being grown in pots. I tried growing plants in the ground, but results were less than fabulous. The soil here has a very high pH due to all the calcium from the shell and the limestone marl and it holds little organic matter. After hurricane Charley literally blew some of my pineapple plants out of the ground, I moved all the survivors to pots.

For potting I use a mix of leveling sand, peat, compost and perlite and the pineapples seem to thrive. Most of my plants fruit in two years, but many take three and I have infrequently had them only take one year. I currently have a Pernambuco fruiting that was planted last summer as a 6" tissue culture start. I don't try to induce them to fruit - just let nature take it's course.

You might try digging up your plants in the ground and potting them. I bet you'll have many more fruiting next year if you do!

By the way, where in SW Florida are you from?
Tarvus

Here is a link that might be useful: Tarvus

I am no expert on pineapples, but where I live now in Amazonas, Brazil they grow very well. I used to live in Fort Lauderdale and had a few pineapples planted, but they did not do all that well. Here they seem to do very well on clay soil with a high acid content. I have never tasted better pineapples than the ones that grow here.

dk