Gardening and Horticulture - Roses - outside petals of buds "alligatoring"

Why are my roses doing this? It's only two of my older bushes - The buds form, and look great, but when they start to open, the outside petals are "alligatored" like paint on the house - once they open, they look normal, except the outside petals. Is this a Hot/Cold issue? I'm in NC, zone 7, and we have not had a really cold night since Easter weekend.....
Any assistance welcome -

How much rain have you had?

very little since May 12th .....

Have you been providing roses with enough moisture? Alligatoring or puckering of buds may be due to lack of moisture. You indicate that cold temperatures have not been a problem. There are no apparent diseases that present the characteristics you describe.

I water once a week - but with the temps in the upper 80's to 90 for the last few days, and no end in sight, I guess I better switch to an every other day, or daily...... the funny thing is that it is only one bush that seems to have the problem.....

I'm thinking I should hold off on fertilizing until it gets a bit cooler (70's - 80's) - I use the time-release fertilizer, and maybe I've ended up stressing the roses....

Roses need lots of water. During hot weather a couple of inches a week. They will not tolerate standing in water. Soil should be well drained. Also apply mulch, but keep it away from the stems. Water early in the day so leaves dry before nightfall to prevent disease. If rose bushes are large, you need to water to a depth of 15-18 inches. If small or miniature roses, you need to water to a depth of at least 8 inches. Shallow watering nurtures roots close to surface and not those deep in the soil. You want roots to grow deep in search of moisture and nutrients. Too little water results in limp plants. Too much water starves roots of oxygen and leaves turn yellow and they drop.

Thanks! I'll I'll do more watering, but with leaving for work at 7:00 am every day, I can't say that I'll always be able to water early in the am...I am careful not to water the leaves , to prevent diseases..

What are your thoughts on when to give up on a bush and replace it? I have three that were here before we bought the house, and they are really only tall stalks that put out about 25 gorgeous roses total during each season.. I sort of hate to get rid of them,as their roses are so pretty, but am tempted to replace them with something that works better, and looks more like a "rosebush" - I tend to like the hybrid teas.....

Is it possible these are tree roses? For example, a 36" tall trunk with a couple feet rose bush at the top? They work well featured among other plantings and can provide visual height to a bed. Perhaps the bed has room to allow you to place additional plants around them.

There are many beautiful large hybrid tea roses. They are tall and elegant and produce the classic long-stem roses. Most are grafted and are known as your basic rose on a stick. They generally produce one rose on the end of a stem. If you have humid weather, select a mildew resistant variety. If you have hot, dry summers, you will want to select a more drought resistant variety. Select varieties rated for your growing zone in order to survive harsh winters. Varieties with thicker petals tend to be more hardy and flowers last longer when cut. If in a warmer climate, plant bud union 1-2 inches above soil. If in a cold climate, plant bud union below soil. Bud union needs protection in cold weather.

No, I know they are not tree roses - probably large teas that just weren't taken care of.... They do put out the most gorgeous,large roses that I have ever seen, though....that's why I'm hesitant to remove them, even though they look like tall sticks....