I have no luck with both the dwarf varieties--dwarf and superdwarf. This doesn't mean they won't fruit for you. I just don't know why they don't produce fruit for me. My other taller varieties have fruited--plantain, Apple Banana, Rajapuri and Praying Hands. My Rajapuri seems to be very prolific. It's fruiting every six months. Praying Hands take a little longer, but it does regularly throw out a bloom or two. I have other varieties which are not as established, so I would have to wait and see what they'll do.

As to your question about some key needs that should be addressed to get fruit, I would say give them lots of water and fertilize them regularly. My bananas are all on drip irrigation, but I heard it's not enough, so once in a while, I would run the water hose on them, especially when there's no rain. I also try to feed them during the growing season. Whether they produce fruit or not, I believe it's also dependent on their species and habits and mostly their mood. But, lately, I have been wondering why some aren't producing fruit yet even though they've been planted to the ground a few years already. Maybe there might be something to do with the soil composition and how well it drains. This, I still haven't completley got a good grip yet.

Rajapuri doesn't grow very tall. It fruits at about 8 ft in height, so it could grow it in a pot easily. When the weather gets warmer, you can plant it outside. Since it fruits regularly, it's possible for you to get fruit in the same season. In any case, I hope you'll come up with something productive to plant soon.